You Make Me Fly
by Lucy Grayson
Summary: This is the Prequel to A Hardy Tale and I'll Keep You... but it can stand alone. Sevina Ataera doesn't want to move to Cameron. She wont fit in. She knows it. Then she finds Omega and everything changes. Please RnR. Rated for language!
1. Moving Day

**A/N: I do not own Matt or Jeff Hardy [or any of their associates] I do not own Omega or the WWE. I also do not own any music which may appear in this fic! No copyright infringement is intended!**

**This is the prequel to A Hardy Tale and I'll Keep You, but it can stand completely alone. This is the story of how the characters met! Please review! Enjoy! :D**

"Sevina, come on! Quit dragging your feet and bring in one of those boxes!" Victor Ataera scowled impatiently at his youngest daughter as she sulked around by the car. She glared at him, but grabbed one of the many boxes from the moving truck, with an insolent expression on her face and then stalked past him into the house. She dumped the box on the floor, wincing as she heard the sound of breaking china. "Sevina!" She spun to look at her father, his expression was murderous. "If you're just going to make this difficult, go into town and get us something to eat." He shoved a twenty dollar bill into her hand and threw the car keys at her. She caught them on reflex and then stormed out of the house. She got into the car and then sped down the drive far too fast. She didn't want to move to this stupid town anyway. It was right out in the middle of nowhere.

She'd had enough trouble making friends when she'd lived in Raleigh, now she had to try and fit in in Cameron. She drove into town and grimaced. It was so small. Everything here was oversized, as if built to accommodate a large population, but Sevina had done her research. The total population was a grand total of one hundred and fifty people. How did they keep anything quiet around here? She scowled as she parked the car and went to look for some food for her family.

She located a small diner that seemed suitable and walked inside. There were only a handful of people there, but they all turned their heads in her direction. She flushed with embarrassment and walked to the counter. She stared at the menu, not really seeing anything and just rumbled off a few things that sounded appropriate to the woman stood behind the register. "So, you're new in town, huh?" Sevina looked at her, frowning a little. She was an older woman, maybe early fifties, she had a kind face and was smiling brightly. Sevina sighed a little and nodded. "Yeah, just moved in." The woman nodded sympathetically, seeming to understand Sevina's apathy. "Well, don't judge us just yet, honey. We might be a small town, but there's lots of fun around here." Sevina nodded non-committally, wishing she would just hurry up and deliver the food order. The woman seemed unwilling to give up. "What school are you going to?" Sevina frowned at her again. Why did she care? Did she not have anything better to do? She bit down her impatient thoughts, knowing her father would not be happy if she upset the locals on her first day. "Um...Union Pines?"

"Oh, my son went to that school. It's nice. You'll love it." Wanna bet? Sevina didn't voice her thoughts out loud, just smiled politely. Finally her food was ready. She grabbed the bags, thanked the woman and then raced out of the diner as she fast as she could. She threw the food onto the passenger seat of the car and began to drive back to the house. She refused to think of it as home. On her way, she took a detour, driving past her new school. She stopped the car and stared at it. It was tiny! She groaned and let her head fall forwards onto the steering wheel. She had hated Raleigh, but she had a feeling she was going to hate it here even more.

She only had herself to blame really. Her father had only relocated them here because she'd been kicked out of all the schools in Raleigh. He was trying to calm her down, trying to curb her wilful behaviour and force her to settle into an average life. Well, it didn't get much more average than this. Did anything interesting ever happen in this town? Sevina sighed and straightened up. She drove slowly away from the school, trying to ignore the dread that was building up inside of her. As she drove back to the new house she passed, what she assumed was a gym. The word 'Omega' was written on the front in big letters and there were a few people outside who all looked pretty buff. Sevina grimaced again as she kept driving.

Back at her old school, the last one she'd been at, she'd been part of a junior wrestling club. She knew she was good at it, but they only let her wrestle the girls and she always ended up in trouble for hurting them. Wrestling was fun, it was good for Sevina because it let her focus her mind on something else. When she was wrestling, it was like everything else tuned out. She would probably have to give that up now. A town this small was highly unlikely to have a wrestling club.

She arrived back at the house and it seemed that most of the stuff had been moved out of the truck and inside. She grabbed the food and went in. It was chaos. Her two older brothers were fighting over where to put the couch, her older sister was on the phone and her younger brother was skidding across the wooden floor on his knees. Sevina's eyes searched until they found her dad, who was shouting at the movers, telling them where to put things and not bothering to be patient about it. She rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen. She dumped the food down onto the centre island and then slipped out into the back yard. The entire yard, which was quite large, was surrounded by woods. There were no other houses in sight.

She sighed and shoved her hands into her pockets, hunching her shoulders. She hated it here already. Her siblings all fitted in well, wherever they went. They were perfect, all blonde, with big blue eyes and good grades, always doing what Victor told them to do. Sevina was different. She couldn't help it! It wasn't like she went out of her way to be that way, she just was. She had raven black hair and really dark blue eyes, which was enough to make her stand out form the rest of her family without any help, add to that that she had no desire to follow her father's footsteps into the forces, or become a lawyer or a pencil pusher in some mundane office and it was a perfect recipe for her to be the bane of her family's life.

Her dad often remarked that she was too much like her mother. Sevina's hands clenched into fists as she thought about her mom. She'd split when Sevina was five. Her younger brother, Michael had only been a few months old at the time. She'd left nothing but a note and none of them had ever seen her again. Sevina hated her. She hated being compared to her all the time. She was a little hard to handle, but she wasn't a coward and she wasn't the kind of person to turn her back on the people who needed her. Not that anyone needed her. Sevina was used to being outcast. It had been happening all her life.

She closed her eyes, tensing and sighing as she heard the back door open. She turned slowly to find her older sister looking at her sternly. "Sevina, standing out here isn't helping." Sevina sighed and ran her fingers through her short, black hair. "I know, Jess. I'm sorry, I just…wanted a minute to take it in." Jessica shook her head and approached her, taking her arm gently. "Come on, Vina. Dad'll freak out if you don't start helping. It's not worth you getting yelled at again." Sevina allowed herself to be dragged inside and kept a dutiful silence as she was ordered about. She wanted to scream, she wanted to demand that they pack everything back up and go back to Raleigh because at least there she knew what she was up against. She didn't and she also stopped short of remind her father that she was probably going to get kicked out of school here, even faster than in Raleigh.

The day dragged and dragged and Sevina was almost ready to tear her hair out by the end of it. She sat on her bed and stared around her new room. It was small, the smallest one in the house and right now it was piled high with boxes. She scowled at the mass of cardboard and then grabbed her pillow, shoving it over her face and screaming into it. It wasn't fair! She didn't want to be here! She didn't want to be stuck in this tiny little town with it's over-curious people! She didn't want to have to try and fly under the radar at a new school. Again!


	2. First Day of School

"Come on, Vina. It might not be that bad." Sevina glared at her brother as he tried to cheer her up. He was a senior and so didn't have to worry about being in this school for very long, Sevina had two more years! Not to mention, John, being John, got on with everyone.. He was laid back and charming, not to mention good looking. Sevina scowled and folded her arms, skulking down further in her seat. She didn't want to do this. She wanted to hide in her room and never come out again. She looked through the window as the school building came into view and heard John let out a low whistle. "Wow, it's pretty small. Kinda cute, don't you think?" Sevina let out a derisive snort. "I hate it." She muttered petulantly. John rolled his eyes as he parked the car. "You can't hate it yet, Vina. You haven't even been inside yet."

"I hate it." She was adamant now and John knew that there was no point arguing with her. He eventually managed to convince her to get out of the car. There were a few students milling around and they all turned to look. John just smiled at them, whilst Sevina pulled up her hood, folded her arms and ignored them. John shook his head at her and led the way into the office. He walked up to the desk, whilst Sevina sulked against the wall. Stupid little school. Stupid little town. "Hi, I'm John Ataera, that's my sister Sevina over there. We're starting today."

The woman at the desk seemed thrilled, picking up on John's ever present enthusiasm. "Well, welcome to Union Pines! It's nice to meet you John and you, Sevina." Sevina grunted in reply, earning her a reproachful look from John. The woman just laughed. "I know it's not easy coming to a new school. I'm Ms Raven. Now, here are you schedules for the day, what you need to do is get each teacher to sign this form at the start of each class and at the end so we can make sure you're in the right places, okay?" John nodded and grinned at her. "Thank you very much. Come on, Vina." He led her sister outside and handed her the schedule. "I'll meet you at lunch, alright?" Sevina nodded grimly, resisting the urge to hang onto his arm and demand that he not leave her. She did have some pride.

She watched him wander off, perfectly at ease already and then looked at her schedule. Oh perfect. Math. She hated Math. She peered at the map that was attached to the schedule and then forced herself to traipse across the campus to find the building. Her class was pretty easy to find, but it took her a while to muster the courage to walk inside. When she did, all heads turned in her direction. She cringed and tried to hide further in her hood. The teacher, who seemed like one of those over-enthusiastic types who loved his job grinned at her. "You must be Miss Ataera. Hood down, please. We like to see faces in this class." Sevina reluctantly reached up and pushed her hood down, freeing her slightly spiked, short hair. She didn't look at any of the other students "That's better. I'm Mr Nicholson. There's a seat for you at the back." Sevina nodded and headed straight for her seat, ignoring all the enquiring eyes. She stared at the workbook she had been given and tried to focus on the lesson.

The boy in the seat next to her, leaned over and whispered quietly. "Hi. I'm David." Sevina looked at him. He was good looking, built like a jock and had a very cocky grin on his face. She frowned at him, but thought she should at least make the effort to be polite. "Sevina."

"How are you liking Union Pines, Sevina?"

"I wouldn't know yet." He laughed, clearly missing the slightly dry tone to her voice. He nodded and grinned at her again. "You know, you should try out for the cheer squad. You've got a good athletic build." Sevina stared at him mutely for a moment. Did this guy have x-ray vision or something? She was wearing baggy jeans and hood sweater. "Cheerleading's not my thing."

"Oh, well, how about gymnastics then? You'll look good in those leotards." Sevina found her hands gripping tightly to the edge of the desk, forcing herself not to hit him. "I'll pass." She spoke through gritted teeth. He didn't seem fazed, but at that moment the teacher asked him a question, so he was forced to concentrate. Sevina let out a long breath, trying to calm her jittering nerves. She hated this place. She hated it so much.

It turned out that David was also in her Foreign Language class and he started talking to her seductively in Spanish, causing many of the other students to laugh. Sevina wanted to punch him, she wanted to explain to him that not all girls wanted to be leered at like a piece of meat. She never made it to meeting John at lunch, because she ran. She just couldn't stand it a moment longer and she ran right out of the school grounds. She knew she'd be in trouble for it, but she didn't care. She had to get away. She pulled her hood up, grimacing as it started raining. Well, that was just perfect and with that, she promptly burst into tears.

She wandered around, knowing she had no idea where she was going. The rain was getting worse and she knew she needed to get inside or she was going to get sick. That was when she came across Omega again. The doors were open and there was no-one outside. She bit her lip for a moment, debating. But the rain just got harder, so she made a split second decision and ran inside. That was the decision that would change the entire course of Sevina's young life.


	3. Matt

Sevina stopped dead when she got through the doors and just stared. It was definitely a gym, as she had first suspected, but it was so much more than that. There were benches set around three of the walls like a school gym. At one end was a lot of training equipment and in the middle was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. A real, full size wrestling ring. She stared at it for a long moment, the shock stopping her tears. This was heaven. How had she not known this was here?

Not wanting to attract attention, Sevina quickly walked to the benches and took a seat at the top. She wasn't the only one watching, so she wouldn't stand out. She kept her hood up and watched. There were three people in the ring, two boys, probably a bit older than her and a man who looked to be in his early twenties. For some reason, he drew Sevina's gaze. He was well built, with black, curly hair. He seemed to be mentoring the boys as they went through the moves. He held himself with a lot of confidence and laughed a lot. He had a deep voice that resonated around the structure and spoken with a southern accent. Clearly he was local. Everyone seemed to know him.

"Jason! Don't throw those weights around like that! I wont tell you again!" He looked sternly at the young man who had been swinging a pair of dumbbells around in the air. Sevina hid a smirk. He struck her as the big brother type who tried to do everything at once and keep his eyes on everyone. She could respect that, but it was funny to watch. She let out a squeak of alarm as his eyes suddenly settled on her. She hid further inside her hood and willed him to look away. He did and she let out a sigh of relief. He went back to instructing the two boys. Sevina took her eyes off him and looked around the gym. It was old, but then, so were most of the buildings in this town. It needed some work doing to it, but it was obviously a well loved place.

The kids who were training at the far end were all talking and laughing together quite comfortably. Sevina bit her lip. The guys in the wrestling club at Raleigh had been like that. She'd been on speaking terms with some of them, but most of them didn't bother with her. She was a trouble maker and no-one wanted to be associated with her. She sighed and looked back to the ring. The two boys were still wrestling, but the older guy was gone. Sevina frowned a little, then gulped as a shadow fell over her. Slowly, she lifted her head and looked meekly up and him as he frowned down at her. "Hey, Kid. Shouldn't you be at school?"

Sevina swore and then clapped a hand over her mouth. The guy lifted an eyebrow and sat down beside her. "Don't like school, huh?" Sevina shook her head, too scared to speak. What if he told her dad she'd been here? He'd get so mad if she knew she'd been at a wrestling gym. He hated her interest in it. The guy nodded and looked down towards the ring, before looking back at her and holding out his hand. "I'm Matt." Sevina shook his hand, still freaked out. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't meant to intrude. It was raining and I…" She trailed off lamely. She knew she shouldn't have been here. Surprisingly, Matt didn't seemed all that worried. "It's alright. I'm not gonna tell anyone you were here. What's your name?"

"Sevina."

"New in town?" She nodded mutely. He looked at her consideringly for a moment, then motioned to the ring. "You like wrestling?" Sevina nodded again, but found the courage to actually speak up this time, instead of sitting there like an idiot. "Yeah, I used to do it at my old school, but…" She didn't finish. She didn't want to tell the story of how she'd been kicked out of her last school for breaking someone's leg. Matt nodded slowly and then sat back a little. "Where did you move from?"

"Raleigh. But originally my family's from Jacksonville. We moved out of there when I was five."

"Really? How come?"

"Um…it's complicated." She didn't want to explain about her mom walking out on them. It was the kind of story you told someone on the first conversation. She didn't know why, but she felt okay talking to Matt. She didn't feel like he was trying to judge her or push her to do something she didn't want to do. He also hadn't mentioned her needing to be at school again, either. This got him some serious brownie points in Sevina's books.

"How old are you, Kid?"

"Sixteen." No point lying. Sevina looked her age, she'd never pass for older. Sevina was not one of these girls that tried to be anything other than what they were. She was different and if other people didn't like it, they could leave her alone. Sadly, they usually did. She was angry kid and she knew it. Her lack of control over her temper got her into trouble a lot, but what did they expect? No-one ever _listened. _They would just talk at her, assuming that if they repeated themselves enough, the message would get through, but no-one cared what she thought or what went on in her head.

Matt looked at her, then reached out and gripped her hood, pushing it back. "Hey!" Sevina tried to grab the hood, but it was already down. Her hair was wet, the hood hadn't offered much protection from the pouring rain and it now hung in her eyes. She scowled at Matt. "What did you do that for?" Matt shrugged an folded his arms loosely. "I like to see the person that I'm talking to."

"Well, no-one asked you to come talk to me."

"You've got a lot of attitude, you know that?"

"So people keep telling me." Sevina folded her arms and glared towards the ring. Matt watched her closely. She was intriguing. There was something about her, underneath the defensive, angry attitude she threw out. Some potential. She reminded him of someone, but he couldn't put his finger on who. She seemed determined not to give anything away, but her silences spoke out louder than her words. This kid had been hurt. She'd been through some serious shit and now she hated the world. She felt ganged up on, like everyone was against her. That was when Matt figured out who she reminded him of.

She reminded him of Jeff, his rebellious younger brother. Jeff had been very much like this girl once. He still was from time to time, but he'd found an outlet through creativity. Matt now found himself wanting to help this kid, wanting to help her find an outlet for whatever anger it was that she was hanging onto so desperately. Anger was easy, it kept you safe, it made the world stay away and made no-one want to get close enough to find out what was underneath it. Matt had seen it before. He'd seen it with Jeff. He'd also seen Jeff overcome that anger, find a way to get it out and stop it from destroying everything he was.

"You hungry?" Sevina looked at him in surprise, but he just smiled and stood up. "Come on, there's a place down the road that makes the best cheeseburgers." He was offering her something, but Sevina couldn't figure out what it was and it definitely wasn't cheeseburgers. The main part of her told her to ignore him, to go home and face her father, but something, some small part of her wanted to trust him. She nodded and stood up. "Okay." She pulled up her hood again, ignoring his slight grimace. "Do you have to keep that thing up?" Sevina looked at him. "Hey, don't hate the hood. Hate the rain." Matt laughed and shook his head. Okay, so she had a sense of humour. That was a good sign.


	4. What'd The Tree Do To You?

They sat in the small café/diner at a table by the window. Matt watched Sevina closely as she picked the sesame seeds off her burger. She was staring out of the window, watching the rain pouring down the glass. She looked like she was miles away. Matt didn't push her for conversation, figuring it was best to let her speak when she was ready. Finally, she turned to him, a frown registering on her face. "Why are you being nice to me? Aren't you meant to tell me to go back to school, threaten to call my dad and all that other crap." Matt smiled a little, sitting back in his seat. "Probably, but I'm not going to. Somehow, I don't think that would help right now."

Sevina hunched her shoulders defensively and continued to pick at her half eaten burger. She knew she was going to be in tonnes of trouble when she got back to the house. Her dad was going to freak out because she'd skipped pretty much half of her first day at school, she would pretty much do anything right now to avoid that. "How old are you, Matt?"

"Twenty-three." Sevina nodded slowly, thoughtfully. "And that…gym, is that your work?" Matt shook his head,, leaning forward and resting his forearms on the table. "No, not anymore. It's a side project now. I'm a jobber for a larger company."

"A jobber? You mean, you lose all your matches? That's kinda lame." Matt laughed and nodded. "Yeah, it is, but it'll help me to get a full-time contract."

"What's the company?"

"I can't tell you that, Kid."

"Why not?"

"Part of my working contract." Matt smiled and shrugged. He didn't mind being a jobber, it was better than nothing. He'd only been doing it for a few months and was beginning to get comfortable with the crowds and the atmosphere. Sevina went back to staring out of the window, before looking at Matt again. "Did you know that Ric Flair lives in Charlotte?" Matt nodded, sitting back again. "Yeah, I did. You like him?" Sevina nodded, picking now at some of the salad on her plate. She stuffed a lettuce leaf into her mouth and then spoke. "I mean, I know he's the 'bad guy'," She made quotation marks with her fingers. "But he's dedicated and he really knows how to entertain people. He was the first wrestler I ever hated."

"That's a big compliment for a heel." Sevina nodded, now shredding another lettuce leaf with her fingers. She had long, slender hands that seemed more feminine than the rest of the entire body. Matt looked back to her face. "So, do you actually want to be a diva or just do it as a hobby?" Sevina suddenly screwed up her face as if he had said something unpleasant. "What?" She shook her head and sighed, still shredding the lettuce. "I don't like that term. It's derogatory." Matt lifted his eyebrows at her. That simple statement told him a lot about her, she wanted to be taken seriously. She wanted to work hard and be acknowledged for it. He would bet his right arm that if she knuckled down at school, she'd be a straight A student. He would also bet that that was never going to happen. "So, why don't you like school?"

Sevina scowled and dropped her completely decimated lettuce leaf onto the plate. She dusted her palms off unnecessarily as she thought about how to answer. "It's not that I don't like school. School would be great if there were no people there."

"You don't like people?"

"People don't like me."

"Ah." It was starting to get clearer now, the reasons behind her attitude. He watched her thoughtfully for a moment. "You got any brothers or sisters?"

"Yeah, one sister, three brothers." Wow. Big family. Matt was guessing, from the tone of her voice, that she didn't fit in with them either. She looked at him and tilted her head, wanting to turn the conversation away from herself. "Do you?"

"I have one brother. Jeff. He's three years younger."

"Is he a wrestler too?"

"Yeah, he is. Same company too." Sevina processed this. Clearly he got on with his brother a lot better than she got on with her siblings, the affection in his tone was obvious. Sevina had only ever heard her siblings talk about her with exasperation in their voices. Well, except Michael. He loved her no matter how badly she screwed up, but then, he was only eleven. He had quite a bit of catching up to do. Still, he idolised Sevina, followed her everywhere when he got the chance. He was the only member of her family that would sit and watch the WWF with her and not complain or berate the superstars. He even let her try out her moves on him. She always got told off for it, but he was her little brother, it was what he was there for.

There was no way her father would let her carry on with her wrestling now that they had moved. The whole point of coming here was to try and get Sevina to fall in line. She sighed heavily at this thought and Matt wondered what had triggered it. She looked so sad all of a sudden and he was dying to know what she was thinking. Something about this girl was almost magnetic. When you looked at her, you didn't want to take your eyes off her. She had a kind of subconscious charisma. A lot like Jeff. To talk to her, was to want to help her, to want to make things better for her.

Maybe that was just him, he got the feeling it hadn't been the case for most of her life. She surprised him then, by looking directly at him with a look in her eyes that Matt could clearly understand as meaning she'd had an idea. "Can I come train at Omega?" The question was abrupt and blunt, spoken with total honestly and something close to need. Matt looked thoughtful and shrugged. "Sure, if you get parental consent, there's no reason why not." Sevina's expression dropped and Matt frowned, but it didn't take him long to figure it out. Her parents weren't going to let her. "Your parents don't like wrestling?"

Something twisted in Sevina's face, but she answered quite plainly, giving Matt no illusions about her parental status. "My dad thinks that sports should be left to men."

"And your mom?" The question was innocent enough, but Sevina's face shut down. She suddenly stood up, grabbing her rucksack and swinging it over her shoulder. "I should go, before my dad calls the police or something…all three of them. Thanks for the burger." She nodded and then all but ran out of the door. Matt stared after her, watching through the window as she ducked her head and ran off into the rain. He had a feeling he'd just done something wrong, but he didn't know what. He chewed on his lip as he thought about it, then shook his head and stood up. He was sure he'd see her again. Cameron was a small town.

Sevina walked through the front door and dropped her bag. "In here, Sevina." Her dad's voice called from the kitchen. She took a deep breath, this was going to be painful. She shoved her hood down, best not to set him off straight away. She then walked into the kitchen. Her dad was sat at the centre island. John was sat next to him, looking a little distressed. Sevina caught his eye, frowning apologetically. She could almost imagine the drilling he'd gotten when he'd arrived home without his sister. She then looked at her father.

Victor was intimidating at the best of times, he was ex-forces and very proud of that. He carried himself very upright and spoke sternly to everyone as if they were new cadets. His children often bore the brunt of this. Particularly Sevina. He was even more intimidating now, because he was angry. His eyes were like chips of flint and his arms were firmly crossed. "Hi, Dad."

"Is that all you have to say?" His tone set the sparks off. Sevina felt it brewing, the need to argue, to defend herself. It was like a monster woke in her chest and demanded that she be defiant. "What do you want me to say?" She tried to keep her voice calm and neutral, but it shook slightly with the effort of containing the beast. It would only be a matter of time before it erupted. "I want you to explain to me where you have been when you should have been at school!" Sevina flinched from the anger in her father's voice and lowered her eyes. "Look at me when I am talking to you." Her eyes snapped back up, wide and slightly fearful. "Where have you been?!"

"I was at a gym…it was raining, so I went in to get out of it."

"A gym?"

"Yeah…Omega."

"Would this be a _wrestling _gym, by any chance?"

"Yes, but I didn't know that when I-"

"How many times do I have to tell you?! I don't want you around that garbage! You're a sixteen year old girl! You have no business there!" Sevina felt the snap, she felt it go and there was nothing she could do to stop it. John seemed to sense it to as he suddenly shook his head at her.

"You can't tell me who to be!"

"I'm your father! I can tell you exactly who to be! As long as you live under my roof, you do as I say!"

"Fine! Then I'll have myself emancipated! I hate this house! I hate this town! And I hate you!" She turned and ran from the kitchen, grabbing her bag and wrenching the door open. Her father was ordering her to come back, but she ignored him. She ran out into the ran again as a sob wrenched itself from her throat. She didn't know where she was going, but she couldn't stay in that house just to be shouted at time and time again. It was too similar to all the other times. He never asked why, he only asked what and then started shouting when he didn't like the answer.

Her boots splashed through the numerous puddles, soaking her socks and her feet, the bottoms of her jeans were drenched and she was shivering from the cold, but she didn't care. Any amount of rain was better than being back there. Back in that house with her drill sergeant father and her practically perfect siblings. She would never fit in, not even in her own household. She always had to stand out and she hated it. She let out a scream of frustration and kicked a nearby tree, swearing as pain shot through her foot. "Hey, what'd the tree ever do to you?"


	5. Bursting The Dam

Sevina spun around so fast that she slipped and landed on her butt in the mud. This was enough to really cause the hysterics. She screamed and laughed, both at the same time and whilst she was doing this, tears started running down her face, hidden by the rain and she was totally oblivious to her audience. "Hey, hey, come on, Kid." She felt strong arms around her, lifting her to her feet as she hiccupped and laughed and cried. "You okay? Did you hurt yourself?" She shook her head, looking at Matt. He'd spotted her as he was driving past and pulled over to make sure she was alright and he hadn't upset her earlier. Looking at her now, he could tell something was really wrong. "Come on. I'll drive you home."

"No!…No, I…I'm just…going for a walk."

"Sevina, you're soaked and you're covered in mud. You need to go home."

"I can't go home!" She shook her head. The hood had fallen down when she'd slipped as now her hair was drenched too. She was working herself up again, thinking he was going to force her to go home. What was going on with this girl? Matt knew he couldn't leave her here in the rain. He sighed and shook his head. "Well, at least come back to my house. You can't walk around like that, you're gonna get sick." Sevina battled with herself for a moment. The guy was a stranger and she didn't really want to just jump in his car. What if he was crazy murderer or rapist? She could almost hear her father's warning tone in her ears and that was what decided it for her. She nodded and allowed him to help her into his truck. "I'm gonna get mud all over your seats."

Matt shook his head, smiling a little. "They'd had worse, trust me." He pulled away from the side of the road and flicked the stereo on. Sevina frowned a little. "Who is this?"

"You've never heard Pearl Jam?" Sevina shook her head, looking confused. Matt laughed and turned the music up a little. Sevina listened, intrigued. All her father listened to was country and western, so this was something totally new to her and she loved it. She found herself smiling. It only took about five minutes to get to Matt's house. Of course it did. If there weren't so much space in between everything, you'd probably be able to run from one end of town to the other in ten minutes. Sevina looked at the house they had pulled up to and lifted her eyebrows. It was modest, but beautiful in that very well lived in kind of way.

"This my dad's house. I don't get paid enough to get my own place yet." Sevina looked at him and grinned. He helped her out of the car and up to the house. She hesitated by the door. "Um…isn't your dad gonna think it's weird that you're bringing a sixteen year old girl home?" The first pangs of uneasiness were filtering into her voice now. Maybe she had totally read this situation wrong and he was just some kind of crazed pervert. Matt laughed and shook his head. "A lot of the guys from Omega come over here and some of them are the same age as you. Besides, when he sees the state of you, he'll probably just cluck over you like an old mother hen." Sevina still felt unsure, but there was something disarming about Matt that just made you want to trust him, so without further question, she followed him inside.

She looked around, trying not to be obvious about it. It smelled of wood and men. It was obvious no women lived here. Were Matt's parents divorced too? No, there were family photos on the wall with a woman who was very definitely Matt's mom. Hmm, that made Sevina curious. What could have happened there then? She didn't want to pry, so she didn't ask. She took her boots off, setting them by the door and curled her toes a little, feeling how wet her socks were, so she took them off as well. Matt grabbed her a towel and she rubbed vigorously at her short hair. "Come on through to the kitchen." Sevina followed him, still looking around curiously. It was a nice house, much better than the one she lived in, which was bigger, but felt sterile and cold. This was a home.

Matt told her to sit down, but she didn't, causing him to look at her questioningly. "Um...my butt's covered in mud. I don't wanna mess anything up."

"Oh right. Wait here for a second."

"But, I-" Matt was already gone, leaving Sevina alone in the kitchen. She stood meekly, feeling extremely awkward. She looked up as someone appeared in the doorway, she'd assumed it would be Matt, but instead, she found herself looking into the face of a much older man. He looked at her with a curious, but un-surprised expression. "Who are you?" There was no aggression in his tone at all. Sevina shifted nervously. "I'm Sevina."

"One of the kids from Omega, huh?" Sevina nodded, it was only a little lie and it wouldn't invite further questions. "I'm Gilbert Hardy, Matt's dad. Nice to meet you. You're in quite a state there. What'd you do, sit in the mud and wait for it to get ya?"

"Um…something like that." Sevina frowned a little and Gilbert laughed, then shuffled towards one of the counters. "You want some hot chocolate? You look like you could do with it." Sevina nodded, feeling it would be rude to refuse and she really could do with something to warm her up. Gilbert hummed a nameless tune as he went about making the drinks. "Um…Mr Hardy-"

"Call me Gil."

"Oh, okay. Gil…do you…support what your son does? With the wrestling, I mean." Gilbert looked at her in a thoughtful way, then nodded and carried on what he was doing. "Absolutely. My boys always loved to wrestle. Made themselves a ring in the woods right out the back there, bungee chords and a trampoline. Sure, I worry about them getting hurt, but it makes them happy and whatever makes them happy, makes me happy." He set a mug of steaming chocolate down in front of Sevina and then popped a few marshmallows into it. He sat down, setting his own mug in front of him. "Matt and Jeff's Momma died when Matt was only twelve. Raising two boys by myself was never an easy task, 'specially with boys like mine. They were always very wilful." He chuckled, not seeming to notice Sevina's distressed expression as he explained about Matt's mother. "Wrestling gave 'em something to focus on, a way to channel all their pent up, teenage aggression. Can't complain about something that helped make my boys into men."

Sevina nodded slowly, looking at her chocolate. She fished one of the marshmallows out with her finger and popped it into her mouth. She then looked at Gilbert again. He was looking at her with that same thoughtful expression and she fought the urge to look away. "I take it your parents don't like you wrestling." Sevina shook her head. "My dad says that women have no place in sports. It's 'unbecoming'." She grimaced slightly, not sure why she didn't mind telling him this, considering she'd only just met him, but he seemed to give off that same aura that Matt did, making you instantly trust him. Must have been where Matt got it from. "And your mom's not around, I gather?" Again Sevina shook her head, frowning now. Every mention of her mom made her want to break something. She gripped her mug tightly with both hands, ignoring the burning that it caused.

Matt re-entered at that moment, carrying a bundle of dark blue and black material that turned out to be sweat pants and a t-shirt. "They'll be a bit too big. I had to raid Jeff's closet, 'cause all my stuff would just drown you, but he wont mind. Oh, hi Dad." Gilbert smiled at his oldest son, then looked at Sevina. "There's a bathroom on the right, just down the hall. You can go change in there." Sevina thanked them both and quickly went to get changed. Matt watched her go, then looked at his father. Gilbert was frowning slightly. "That girl's got some difficult problems." Matt nodded, in total agreement with him. "What did she say to you?" Gilbert shrugged. "Nothing really. That's the point. She's only what…sixteen? She acts and moves like she's forty." Matt sighed a little, running his fingers through his hair. "You think you're ready to take on someone with all that baggage?"

Matt frowned at him and sat down. "I'm not 'taking her on', Dad."

"I think you are, son." Gilbert smiled. He knew Matt too well, he knew that he wouldn't let that girl go on suffering if there was a way he could help her. That was his mother coming out in him. He was a kind soul. Both of his son's were, but Matt was used to being the big brother, being the one to help out and make things better. When Jeff would fall down and hurt himself as a kid, it was Matt he would run to, Matt who would stick up for him in school when the other kids picked on him.

Sevina emerged a few minutes later. The clothes were baggy on her, but the pants didn't fall down so she wasn't complaining. She had pushed her hair back so that as much of it as possible, was tucked behind her ears. Most of it was too short for that as kept falling into her eyes. She plucked at the pants nervously as she re-entered the kitchen. "Thanks. I feel much better."

Matt smiled and motioned for her to come and sit with them. "Now, are you gonna tell me what you were doing out there, Kid?" Sevina frowned at him and then looked down at her hands. Gilbert reached over and pushed her mug of chocolate towards her. She looked at him and saw the sympathetic expression on his face and tried to smile. She lifted the mug to her lips and took a small sip, instantly feeling the warmth spread through her. She looked at Matt again and sighed. "I got into a stupid fight with my dad. I told him I'd been at Omega and he just…freaked out. I told him I hated him and then I ran out."

Matt said nothing for a while. He'd never really fought with his dad like that. Gilbert had always been supportive of anything that Matt and Jeff wanted to do. "Well, I'm sure he's just worried about you." Sevina made a derisive noise and shook her head. "Trust me, that's not it." Slowly, bit by bit, she started to explain about her family. About how her mom had split and her father had moved them down to Raleigh. She left nothing out. She didn't know why she was telling all of this to these two near strangers, but all she could think was that, they were actually _listening_. She could tell from their faces that they weren't just humouring her, they were actually listening to what she had to say and taking it in. The words just poured out of her. All of it, it was like a flood of stored up pain and anger, finally breaking free of an oppressive dam.


	6. You're Broken

**A/N: Thank you Musichick06 and I Luv Hardy! I love you guys :D**

By the time she had talked herself into silence, she felt exhausted. She ran her hands down her face and then looked at Matt and Gilbert, who were both looking thoughtful. The embarrassment hit her then. She'd kept all her thoughts and feelings to herself for all these years and now, in one day, she had told it all to two complete strangers. She flushed and lowered her head, trying to hide the shameful colour that had touched her normally very pale skin.

Matt watched her, frowning. He then sighed, reaching out to her with his voice. "You've been through a lot, Sevina. There's nothing wrong with letting it all out from time to time." Sevina's head came up and she looked at him. She could feel it again, that defensive instinct, the need to cover what she'd just revealed, the need to push them away so they couldn't use it against her. She felt the need not to care, or at least, to act like she didn't. She shrugged casually. "Shit happens. Worse things have happened to better people."

"Where did you hear that?"

"My dad." Matt nodded slowly. She was going to be a tough nut to crack. He could see already that she had thrown her defences back up. She didn't like feeling vulnerable. Gilbert suddenly stood up, stretching his aching limbs. "Matt, I think you'd better take this young lady home now. Her family are probably wondering where she is." Sevina's eyes grew wide with alarm. She knew she had to go home, but she really didn't want to. All that was waiting for her there was another argument. Gilbert looked at her, seeing her very obvious distress. "Now, you listen here. You can't run away from your problems. It wont help. You gotta face 'em, straight on. You gotta hold your head up and be proud of who you are. Don't let 'em beat ya, 'cause if you do, it's only you that's gonna suffer in the end. It's gonna be rough, but know this; you are always welcome here. You can come knock on this door whenever you need to, but you can't avoid it forever."

Sevina looked at him, she felt fearful, but found a kind of strength in his words. She could see why Matt had grown up to be such a strong person. Gilbert was inspiring, he was strong minded, but kind enough that you couldn't take offence from his words. Sevina took a deep breath and then nodded. "Okay. Okay, I should go home." Matt nodded, then stood up. He put her wet clothes into a bag for her whilst she put her boots on. She straightened up and then looked at Gilbert who had come to see them off. "Thank you." Her gratitude was completely sincere and Gil nodded, smiling at her. "You're stronger than you think, Kid. Don't doubt it."

"I'll try." And she would. She hated being the victim, but she'd never felt strong enough to stand up and do something about it. She still hated that she'd had to move here, but maybe it was best, if not for the reasons her father thought. She followed Matt out to his truck, the rain had died down a little by now. Once inside, she sat back and listened as Pearl Jam floated out of the speakers again. She was going to have to see if she could get hold of some of their music.

She gave Matt directions to her house. It wasn't hard to find. Nothing was in this town. She sighed as he pulled up outside and looked at the large building. Matt looked over at her. "Why don't you come over to Omega after you get done with school tomorrow? We'll talk some more." Sevina turned her head to him and frowned. "My dad wouldn't like that."

"So, don't tell him. Tell him you've joined a book club or something." Sevina snorted with laughter. She doubted her dad would buy that, but she shrugged. "Maybe." She then said goodbye, grabbed the bag of clothes and hopped out of the truck. Matt waited until she was inside before pulling away. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel thoughtfully. He wanted to help her, but right now, he wasn't sure how to do that. From what she'd said, there was no way her dad would let her train at Omega, let alone participate in matches. She needed some kind of outlet, somewhere to get her aggression out. He'd never met such an angry kid.

How did her father not see it? How did he not see what was underneath? Matt could kind of understand, he was a single father, trying to raise five kids. At least one of them was bound to get lost under the radar, especially the one that stood out the most, that didn't fall in line with the others. Sevina was definitely that kid. She didn't seem the type that went out of her way to stand out and be different, it just sort of happened. She was an enigma. A oddball that just couldn't find a niche to sit in.

Matt didn't want to aid her rebellion, but he knew something had to happen to tip the balance. She was on a downward slope. He'd seen it before. Kids that got themselves into a rut and didn't have that helping hand to pull them out if. There was something in her, but she just didn't know how to get it out, she'd never been shown how to express herself in a healthy way. She'd been taught to keep her real feelings under wrap because letting them out caused trouble. She wasn't a bad kid, she'd just fallen into bad habits.

Matt had already decided to talk to his dad about it. Gilbert Hardy was a fount of great advice and if anybody could give him some idea of how to help this girl, it would be him.

* * *

Sevina walked through the door for the second time and dropped her bag down. She took her time pulling her boots off and setting them neatly beside the door. She could hear the t.v in the family room, it sounded like a documentary, so she figured it had to be her dad. Well, she had to face him sometime. Gil's words returned to her and she took in a deep, steadying breath before walking into the family room.

Victor was sat on the couch, but didn't seem to be watching the show that was on. He was sat forward, with his hands resting on his knees. He didn't look up when she entered, so she waited. She hovered by the door nervously. Eventually, he spoke. "Where have you been?"

"I went for a walk." Victor looked over at her, noting the change in her clothing. "And miraculously found new clothes? Men's clothes, I might add." Sevina flushed a little, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She fought to keep her voice calm, she was determined not to turn this into another blow-out. "I fell over in the mud. A guy…from school, picked me up and lent me some clothes."

"A guy from school?" He didn't sound like he believed her, but she nodded none-the-less. "You were only in school for a couple of hours and you already met a guy you trusted enough to take you home and lend you clothes?" Sevina hated the scorn in his voice, but she didn't rise to it. She nodded again. "He's a good guy."

"What's his name?" Sevina hesitated, before reeling off the only name she could think of. "David." Victor nodded slowly, then stood up. Sevina backed off a step as he walked towards her. He stopped and frowned at her. "Sit." He pointed to the couch and she hastily obeyed. She sat down on the edge of the far end and didn't look at him. He stood over her and, though she wasn't looking at him, she sensed the stern look her was giving her. "Sevina, why did you cut school today?" Sevina flicked her eyes up in shock. It was the first time he'd ever asked the reasons behind her behaviour. She chewed her lip, wanting to be honest, but in a way that didn't anger him. She knew this was a rare opportunity to actually communicate with her dad. "I guess, I got scared. The others kids were all staring at me and making jokes about me. I didn't want to get into a fight again, so I ran." Victor shook his head, sighing with exasperation. "You can't run away all the time, Sevina."

"I know that."

"Then why do you keep doing it?"

"I don't know…my head just…I can't think straight sometimes." She ran her hands down her face. This was uncomfortable. She hated these conversations with her father. They always ended the same way. "I don't understand you, Sevina. We moved here for you, to try and help you."

"I never wanted to move here."

"Well, what were we supposed to do? You got kicked out of all the schools in Raleigh! Is there something in your brain that just makes you have to misbehave?"

"Maybe. I don't know. I don't know why I do it."

"Well, you need to start figuring it out! I had to uproot the entire family because of you, I am not going to do it again! You either settle down or I am sending you away to school!" Sevina's head snapped up and she stared at him. Sending her away? It wasn't a new threat, but the force behind it told her that he was serious. She stood up. "Dad, would you just listen?" She tried to say it calmly, but it came out angry. Victor shook his head, his own temper instantly flaring. "What's the point?! It's always the same thing over and over! You never listen, so why should I?!"

"Because maybe if you listened sometimes, I wouldn't be this way!" Sevina instantly regretted it as her father's face began to turn a very dangerous shade of red. "Don't you dare blame me for your bad behaviour! I've done nothing different with you than any of the others! You're just…broken!" Sevina gasped, putting her hands over her mouth. Victor's face was shocked by his own words and he reached out to her, but she ran past him. She grabbed her bag and flew up the stairs to her room, slamming the door and throwing herself onto her bed. She screamed into her pillow, fighting against her own tears. Maybe he was right. Maybe she was broken.

She didn't mean to be bad, she didn't know why she did it. Why she always did it. It was like something snapped in her head and she didn't have control of it. She wanted to be good, she wanted her dad to be proud of her like he was of the others, but she just couldn't find it in her to be like them. She didn't find interest in the things that they did. More importantly, she didn't look like them. She knew from old photos that she looked exactly like her mother. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe the genetic malfunction that had made her mom such a waster had transferred over to her. Was she destined to be a never-ending screw up? Was she going to end up alone and desperate, with no-one to care? Did anyone care, even now?

She tried to get her brain to shut up. She didn't want those thoughts. She didn't want to picture herself in twenty years time, sat in some crummy, run-down apartment with no-one to call and no-one who cared. She knew that was where she was headed, some nameless street, in an unfeeling city where she'd be forgotten and wasted. No-one would ask what happened to her because by then, no-one would care. She'd have pushed them all away because she didn't know how to change.

She didn't want that. She didn't want that future. She wanted more, but she didn't know what. If she followed her dreams, she'd lose her family and of course, because it was her, they'd ultimately fail. If she fell in line, she would lose herself and become a person she hated. Which was better? Trying, losing everyone and failing? Or not trying, keeping everyone, but losing herself? She'd already made up her mind what she was going to do, because that image, that mental picture of being alone would not leave her. She had to change. She had to become a different person, if she wanted to keep her family.


	7. Fitting In

The next morning, she dragged herself out of bed without the usual repeated banging on her door from John. She dug about her closet to find something to wear, eventually picking out a pair of boyfriend cut jeans and a bright red tank top. She eyed her hoodie longingly, but shook her head. No more hoods. She combed her hair so that it sat neatly about her head, instead of being the usual semi-spiky mess. She pulled on a pair of barely worn white sneakers and then finally decided she was ready to go. She grabbed her bag and a denim jacket and left her room. Her brother did a double-take when he saw her, but seemed to think better of making any comments.

She was silent for the car ride to school, just chewing on her thumbnail and staring out of the window at the overcast sky. She didn't complain about anything, she didn't say a word. When John promised to meet her at lunch, she just nodded and then went to her math class. She pulled her books out and ignored everyone else in the room. David tried talking to her again, but she brushed him off quite plainly. She tried to focus on the lesson, but they were doing quadratic equations and the entire concept was just foreign to her. She couldn't make heads nor tails of it, but she tried.

Her foreign language class wasn't that bad. She got called on twice to answer questions, but her Spanish was almost fluent, so she hadn't struggled. She'd been in an advanced placement in Spanish at her last school. She managed to avoid David pretty well, though he seemed determined to persist. She didn't talk to anyone else. They showed interest in her, but she wasn't ready to take that step yet. She didn't know how to socialise with people, so fitting in was going to be harder than she'd first thought.

She pulled up the collar on her jacket as she walked across the campus to meet her brother. She'd made it to lunch. That was a good sign. She could see him, sat on the hood of his car talking to a group of other seniors. She rolled her eyes. Typical John. She then almost jumped out of her skin as David appeared in front of her as if he'd been teleported there. "Fucking Jesus! Don't do that!"

"That's a smart mouth you got there." Sevina glared at him, shifting her rucksack higher on her shoulder. "What do you want?"

"You wanna go out with me tonight?" Sevina looked at him incredulously. He certainly had no issues with confidence, but rather than making him attractive, coupled with the suggestive leer on his face, it made him completely repulsive. "No, thank you."

"You gay?"

"What?"

"Well, you must be if you don't wanna go out with me. All the girls here would love to be in your place right now."

"Yeah, well go ask one of them out then."

"But I wanna go out with you."

"Well, then you're going to be disappointed. Excuse me." She went to walk past him, but he grabbed her arm. She spun around, narrowing her eyes at him. "Get your hand off me."

"Hey, calm down kitten."

"Get your hand off me." Sevina repeated herself through gritted teeth. He didn't listen, he just laughed and pulled her closer to him. "You don't have to play hard to get with me, baby." Sevina tried to hold in her temper. She was not about to mess everything up by getting in another fight. She took a deep breath, looked him completely in the eye, then smiled and leaned towards him, turning her head to whisper in his ear. "Go to hell." She then wrenched her arm free, but he grabbed it again, spinning her to face him. "I don't like being refused." They were starting to attract quite a crowd now and Sevina knew she had to end this now before she got into trouble for making a scene. "Look, needle-dick, I said I'm not interested! So take your over-inflated ego and go compensate for your lack of balls somewhere else, okay?" Her words seemed enough to shock him and she was able to break free. She ran to John's car and dove into the passenger seat, ignoring the curious looks from her brother's new friends. John excused himself and got in the car. "Hey, what's the matter?" Sevina just shook her head, putting her feet up on the dash and running her hands down her face. She thumped her head back against the headrest and glared out of the windshield. "I wanna go home." John knew she wasn't talking about the new house. She'd hated Raleigh, but it had been home. It had been familiar and comforting.

"I know, Vina, but this place isn't so bad. You just gotta give it a chance." Sevina sighed and looked over at him, wishing she could believe him, wishing she could really believe that things would be okay here, but she didn't. It didn't matter what town they moved to, Sevina was a freak and she always would be. She sat talking to John for the rest of the lunch hour and then mustered her courage and went back into the school. David was present in her Biology class, but he seemed to be avoiding her now. Good. That would make things easier. Her last class of the day was gym.

She changed into her sweatpants and a t-shirt and then followed the other girls out, noting that they were all wearing shorts. As she suspected, she immediately got handed a pair of regulation, navy blue shorts and told to go change. She sighed, putting on the shorts, scowling into the mirror. She didn't like how tight they were. Sevina kept herself in shape, but that didn't mean she wanted to show it all off. When she emerged, she heard the teacher explaining that they were going to be doing high falls and she couldn't help but grin a little.

She waited in line, watching as the other girls squealed loudly and dithered about, not liking having to climb the metal structure and then jump onto the crash mat. Sevina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. As with most schools, the boys were braver. If any of them were scared, they didn't show it. Sevina heard her name, nodded to the teacher and quickly scaled the climbing frame. She had no problem reaching the top and she looked down once she reached the small platform. She could see the other students watching her curiously. She looked down at the mat, twenty feet below her and felt the familiar rush. She smirked and then threw herself into the air. She did a full turn, landing on her back, with her arms outstretched, before rolling off the mat.

"Well done, Ataera! Very impressive!" Sevina grinned at her gym teacher. She had a feeling that she and Ms Maness were going to get along quite well. The other students didn't seem happy about the praise she'd received, but Sevina had long since learned to tune other people out. She was just happy that she got to do the high falls. She'd been banned form doing them in her last school because she tended to get a bit too creative with it, or ended up doing wrestling moves, which wasn't encouraged.

She felt a little better as she left the school that day. She'd survived. She'd gotten through a whole day and she hadn't hit anyone, though she'd certainly come close. Maybe she could do this. Maybe.

-----

Over the next few weeks, Sevina threw herself into school and for anyone looking in on her, she would seem like a pretty normal kid, apart from the fact that she was always alone. A few people had tried talking to her, but soon gave up when they realised she wasn't 'cool' or into the same things as they were. She didn't really care. Her dad was off her back and that was all that mattered right now. She just had to make it through high school.

The only real problem she had, was that she was feeling bad for not going back to Omega. She wanted to see Matt again and thank him for helping her out, but she knew that if she went back there, she'd be too tempted by the wrestling. She was forcing herself to stay away, forcing herself not to be that person anymore. Wrestling had no future for her, no matter how bad she wanted it, or how much better it made her feel. She'd locked the feelings away again, ignoring them. Even the anger had been replaced by a kind off empty numbness. She was running on autopilot, getting through each day, surviving. She hated that she had to do that, just survive, but she knew that if she wanted any kind of future, it was going to have to be enough.

"Sevina, are you listening?" Sevina looked at her dad, frowning, then shook her head. "Sorry. What?" Victor rolled his eyes, but didn't comment. She was behaving and that was all he cared about. "I need you to run into town and grab some things for me. Michael's still sick so I need to stay here. Can I trust you with that?"

"Yeah, Dad." Sevina nodded, took the list he'd made and then grabbed the car keys. She hated driving her dad's car. It was really old and slow and smelled strange, but it was better than nothing. She needed some fresh air anyway. She parked the car and peered at the list as she walked towards the grocery store. She mentally made a note as she walked inside and grabbed a basket. The AC was on full blasted when it didn't need to be and the store was freezing. Sevina shivered and hunched her shoulders a little, wishing she was wearing something more than a tank top.

She was so absorbed in what she was doing that she didn't notice the guy walking towards her and ended up crashing into him. She fell hard and winced. She looked up, frowning. He was quite tall, maybe six feet, well built, but not huge. He was young and had hair down to his ears, it was dyed a shocking red with streaks of green through it. Sevina stared at him. He didn't seem to notice. He reached down to help her up. "You alright?" She nodded, mentally shaking herself. "Yeah, thanks." He nodded, smiled and walked away. Sevina turned to watch him, still a little shell shocked. He looked like nothing she'd ever seen and yet she knew she hadn't seen him around before now. Who was he?

"Hey, Kid! Long time, no see." Sevina was shocked out of her stupor as she turned to see Matt grinning at her. She smiled in return. "Hi."

"How ya been?"

"Not bad."

"How come you haven't been by?"

"Oh um…sorry about that. School. You know. Gotta keep my grades up." Matt nodded. He took in her appearance for the first time. She looked very different to how she had when he'd first met her. She was wearing the same sort of clothes that most of the girls in town wore and her hair was combed neatly, not to mention that her hoodie was nowhere in sight. She looked like a different kid, but it was still there, that fire in her eyes, only it looked almost like she'd tried painting over it with something else and Matt could tell quite easily what she was doing. She was trying to fit in. "Well, you should come by. It'd be nice to see you. I gotta go, my brother's waiting for me. Come see me, okay?" Sevina nodded and watched him leave. She saw him walk up to the guy with the brightly coloured hair and lifted her eyebrows. So that was Jeff. Wow…he was really, really different to Matt. She shook that thought away and went back to what she was supposed to be doing.


	8. The Incident

**A/N: Thank you to Musichick06 and I Luv Hardy, you guys rock! Sorry this one took a while, writer's block hit me _ Enjoy!**

As she drove home, she detoured past Omega. She stopped outside and chewed on her lip, crossing her hands on the steering wheel. Surely it wouldn't hurt to just pop in, it wasn't like she was doing anything wrong. Her dad wouldn't have to know. She sat there, frowning out of the windshield, debating with herself. She wasn't aware that she'd made a decision until she was already out of the car.

She hunched her shoulders slightly, shoving her hands into her pockets and walked inside. She stopped just inside of the doors and looked around. She didn't know if she had expected it to change, but felt a strange sense of surprise that it was exactly the same. She looked at the ring and felt the familiar pull, which had been so far buried recently. There were two guys in there, throwing each other around. Sevina bit her lip and took a couple of steps further in, then stopped. She'd spotted Matt across the other side, talking to his brother. She tilted her head curiously, pondering over the huge differences in their appearances. Maybe it was just Jeff's hair that made him seem so different to Matt.

Sevina watched them both, they held themselves in the same way, with a kind of quiet confidence, but there was something more flamboyant about Jeff, something that seemed to just draw all eyes to him, where Matt exuded a kind of gentle strength that wasn't aggressive or in-your-face. At that moment, Matt looked over and spotted her. He grinned and said something to Jeff before jogging over to her. "Hey, Kid! You came." Sevina nodded and smiled, shoving her hands further into her pockets. "Yeah, I thought I should come say hi and see how you were doing."

"Well, it's good timing. We're closing for a week after this, 'cause Jeff and I have to go to St Louis for work." Sevina lifted her eyebrows curiously, pulling a hand from her jeans to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Oh. Well, I would say good luck, but we both know you're gonna lose." Matt laughed and nodded. "Yeah, but I appreciate the thought." Sevina looked around again, not really sure what to say now that she was here. She motioned to the ring. "You ever put matches on here?" Matt followed her eyes, then looked back at her. "Yeah, we have our own championships and everything." Sevina's eyebrows went up and she chewed on her lip again. Just being in this place was making her miss it. Even just watching wrestling was better than being removed from that world altogether. She hadn't watched the WWF since she'd arrived here, she hadn't dared asked her dad if she could. He'd reluctantly put up with her interest in Raleigh, but here, he'd made it perfectly clear that he didn't want her anywhere near it.

"Hey, you wanna show me what you got?" Matt looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. Sevina's eyes went a little wide and she shook her head, hunching her shoulders further. "I shouldn't. I don't wanna get into trouble."

"Who's gonna know?" Matt's grin was slightly mischievous, almost daring. Was he trying to get her into trouble? No, Matt wouldn't do that, but he was offering her a challenge. She looked at the ring with a kind of longing, arguing with herself. As long as her dad didn't find out, where was the harm in it? She looked at Matt again, then nodded. "Alright." Matt's grin widened and he turned to the ring, clapping his hands lightly. "Okay guys, go shower." The two boys in the ring complained, but did as they were told. Matt rolled under the bottom rope, then looked down at Sevina, he sat on the second rope to hold it down for her. She just lifted an eyebrow at him, then hopped onto the apron. She grabbed the top rope in both hands, leaned her weight back and then jumped neatly over the top, landing lightly on her feet. Matt looked surprised. "Alright then."

Sevina turned to him once she was in the ring, she felt that familiar sense of peace, like the world and her own mind had quietened down. She felt comfortable and free, almost graceful. Matt faced her. "Alright, well, I dunno how well versed you are, so I'll go easy." Sevina scoffed at him and then held her arms out to the side, as is inviting him to take a shot. For the first time since they'd met, Matt felt a little uneasy. He didn't know if she was any good at this, as easy as she seemed in the ring, he didn't want to hurt her. That thought went out of his mind as she delivered a clothesline to him that knocked him down to the canvas. Jesus, she was strong! He looked up at her, shocked. She was tiny, how the hell did she do that? He pulled himself to his feet and Sevina was smirking at him.

She suddenly ran at the ropes and bounced off. Matt tried to move out of the way, but she jumped at him, landing on his back. Her legs went around his waist and her arms got his head into a very secure sleeper hold. The others in the gym had started to notice and watched with curiosity. Matt tested her hold, then hooked his hands behind her head, throwing her forwards over his shoulder so that she landed on her back on mat. He looked down to make sure she was alright, but she was already moving. She swung her leg out so that her shin connected with the back of his knees, driving him down. She stood up, putting her hands on her hips and looking down at him. "Still worried about hurting me?" Her voice sounded different, purely confident and solid. It was like she'd become someone else, someone who knew she was strong. Before Matt could respond, she had already moved. She was up on the top turnbuckle with her back to him. Was she insane? By now, Matt was convinced that she was too caught in whatever mindset she had fallen into and she was going to hurt herself. He wasn't prepared for the moonsault and only just managed to catch her, sending them both crashing to the mat.

Matt was so shocked that he didn't move as she sat on his chest, pinning him shoulders. Someone banged on the apron three times and then Sevina grinned and clambered off him. She held out a hand and he took it, pulling himself to his feet. He looked at her with a kind of awed fascination. "Okay…so you can wrestle." Sevina laughed, it was an utterly free sound and suddenly Matt knew how to help her. She had a natural talent and just looking at her in the ring, it was obvious to see how much good it did her. It was like something inside of her let go, the barriers fell and gave a glimpse to real person underneath the anger and the attitude.

"Hey Matt, you just got owned by a sixteen year old." Jeff grinned at his brother, who just flipped him off. "Good job, Kid." Jeff then waved and grabbed his duffel bag and wandered out of the gym. Matt rolled his eyes and looked at Sevina. "That's my brother, by the way." Sevina nodded slowly, still watching Jeff's progress out of the door. She turned her eyes back to Matt, then sighed. "I should get home." The light had already faded out of her eyes as she thought about leaving. Matt frowned as she rolled out of the ring. He followed her slowly and walked outside with her.

She stopped by the car and turned to him. "Thanks. That was fun." Matt smiled and shrugged. "Yeah, I'll have to remember not to go so easy on you next time." Sevina shook her head, fiddling with her keys. "I don't think there's gonna be a 'next time'. You know I'm not supposed to be here." Matt frowned at her. He wanted to help her, he could see what she needed, but he wasn't sure how to go about it. He didn't want to get her into trouble. There had to be a way around it. "Listen, why don't you come by when I get back from St Louis? We'll talk and see if we can find a way to convince your dad."

Sevina looked at him and he could see the conflict in her face. Her dad would never allow it. She knew there was no way on earth he would agree to let her wrestle. Still, it had to be worth a try. She nodded slowly. "Alright." Matt grinned, then watched as she got in the car and drove away.

She got back to the house and dumped the grocery bags in the kitchen. "Dad, I'm home." She walked into the family room. The t.v was on, but there was no-one in there. "Dad?" She wandered around the house, but there was no sign of anyone. She frowned and walked up the stairs and into her room. She almost jumped out of her skin when she saw her dad, sat on her bed. "Holy crap! Dad!" He scowled at her. "Mind your language." Sevina bit her lip, frowning apologetically. "Sorry. Um…what are you doing in here?"

"Where have you been?"

"At the store." She lifted her eyebrows, tilting her head curiously. He looked mad. Really mad. She felt a swoop of anxiety in her stomach. Oh no. "Just the store?"

"Y-yeah." He suddenly stood up and Sevina flinched at the speed of his movement. "So you didn't stop anywhere on your way back?"

"I.."

"You didn't stop at that wrestling gym? You didn't get into a match?"

"Dad, I-"

"I told you no wrestling!"

"Dad, please! I-"

"Why don't you ever do as you're told?!" He suddenly lashed out, knocking a load of books down from the shelf on the wall. Sevina flinched again. "Dad, listen!"

"No! I am through listening!" He lashed out again, this time sending her WWF action figures flying across the room. "Dad, stop!" Victor seemed to have completely lost it as he tore the posters from her walls, ripping them to shreds. He grabbed her snow globe, which contained a replica wrestling ring and threw it against the wall. It shattered, sending shards of glass and water flying everywhere. Sevina threw her arms up to protect her face, but he wasn't done. He picked up her pile of WWF annuals and started tearing the pages out. Sevina grabbed his arm. "Dad, please! Stop it!" He threw his arm out, shaking her off. She landed on her bed, flinching as he threw the ruined annuals across the room. He then turned towards her life-size cardboard cut out of Steve Austin. Sevina saw where his focus had gone and threw herself across the room to stand in front of it. "Stop! Please, please!"

Victor grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her hard. She felt her teeth banging together from the force of it, then he shoved her aside. She felt her forehead connect sharply with the corner of her dresser and cried out in pain. Victor put his foot through the cut-out, as Sevina lifted her hands to her head. They came away scarlet. She stared at her bloody hands in shock, then looked up at her dad, who had now noticed. He was staring at her with the same kind of shock on his face as there was on hers. He moved towards her, but she backed up, skittering across the floor away from him. She winced, hissing in pain as she felt the glass from her snow globe digging into her palms.

She scrambled to her feet, ignoring the slight dizziness and the blood obscuring her vision. "Sevina…" Victor walked towards her again, but she moved back until she reached the door. Then she turned and ran. She flew down the stairs and out of the front door. She just ran. Her legs burned and she tripped a few times as she got into the woods, but she kept running. She didn't look back. Her head was pounding and she didn't even want to think about what kind of mess she was in. She just knew she had to keep running. Her dad had always been prone to temper, he'd shouted a lot and thrown things, but he'd never put his hands on her, or any of them. He wasn't a violent man, which made this incident all the more traumatic. Had she driven him that far beyond reason?


	9. Just Listen

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews you guys...I truly do love you :D For the record, there will be some time skips in a few of the following chapters (and I am having to play with the RL timeline a bit to make everything fit properly. Artistic liscence!), otherwise this is gonna really drag and I know the main thing you are waiting for, so unless this becomes the longest, most boring fanfic ever written, I shall be skipping some big chunks of time! Anywho, enjoy :D**

The side of her fist came down on the door three times. She leaned heavily against the wall, trying to catch her breath. There was no answer at the door, so she slid down, pulling her knees up. She rested her forehead on her knees, before gasping in pain and lifting it up again. She frowned at the bloodstain on her jeans, lifting a hand to press gingerly against the cut on her head. It was still bleeding profusely and it was hurting more and more as the minutes ticked past. She felt really dizzy.

She closed her eyes, but that just made it worse. She felt her stomach roll and turned her head, leaning over and vomiting. She groaned, wrapping her arms around her torso. She heaved again, but there was nothing to come up. She hadn't eaten anything that day. She was still gasping for breath and her lungs felt like they were on fire. She didn't remember making the decision to come here, she just knew that there was no-where else she could go. She didn't know anyone else in this town and she certainly wasn't going to go home.

She leant back against the house, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. She needed to straighten her mind out, she needed to figure out what she was going to do now. She knew her dad didn't mean to hurt her, he'd never intentionally cause her any harm, but she'd never seen him freak out like that. She opened her eyes and sighed slowly. She was such a screw up. She'd messed everything up. Again. She'd been doing so well, she'd been behaving. Her grades were up, she hadn't been in any fights and yet, the one time she did something that was against her dad's wishes, it all blew up again. She'd be lucky if he didn't send her away for real this time.

She grimaced and lifted a hand to her head, wincing as she felt the cut under her fingers. It was a good one, but she'd had worse. She lowered her hand, swearing softly. Well, she couldn't stay here. She'd have to go home. The thought was not a pleasant one, but she knew she didn't really have a choice.

She'd just about collected herself enough to start trying to stand up, when Matt's truck pulled into the drive. Her eyes met his and she saw the shock and worry on his face. He literally dived out of the truck and ran towards her. "Sevina, what happened?!" He made it from the truck to her in about two seconds, crouching in front of her. She flinched as his hand touched the area around the cut on her head. "Fuck, that's a good one. Can you stand?"

Sevina simply nodded in reply. She tried to push herself up, but slipped. Matt's hand closed gently on her upper arm and he helped her to her feet. He looked back to the truck. It was only now that Sevina noticed Gilbert was with him. She flushed in embarrassment. "I'm really sorry…I didn't know where else to go…I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Come on, let's get you in the house." Matt helped her inside and sat her down in the kitchen. He quickly grabbed a dishcloth and ran it under the cold tap. He then pressed it lightly against her head. She hissed and tried to move back, but his other hand moved to the back of her head to hold her still. "Do you feel dizzy? Sleepy? Nauseous?" He looked into her eyes, checking that her pupils were dilating and reacting. Sevina scowled at him. "I did, but I'm fine now. I've had worse than this." Matt shook his head, taking the ice pack that Gilbert handed to him and replacing the dishcloth with it. Sevina screwed up her face in pain, then moved her hand to hold the pack there, brushing Matt's hand away.

"What happened, Kid?" Sevina looked at him, then bit her lip. She didn't want to explain, there was no way she could put it without making her dad sound like a bad guy. "I fell." Matt didn't look like he believed her. "You fell? So why didn't you go home, instead of coming here? What really happened, Sevina?" He gave her a hard look that made her want to squirm. She sighed and lowered her eyes, then slowly explained what had happened. She didn't look up until she had finished.

Matt wasn't looking at her. His hands were clenched into fists and there was a muscle ticking in his jaw. "Mother fucker." He whispered, through gritted teeth. Sevina shook her head, lowering the ice pack. "It wasn't on purpose! He'd never hurt me." Matt looked at her and his brown eyes were darker than usual. "He shouldn't have done what he did, Sevina."

"I know that, but he didn't mean to. I should never have come to see you today."

"This isn't your fault! You didn't do anything wrong!"

"I knew I wasn't meant to be there!"

"You shouldn't feel guilty for doing something that you love!"

"I shouldn't have been doing it!" At this point, Gilbert decided to step in. He gently lifted Sevina's hand back to her head, pressing the ice pack back to the cut. He then looked at Matt, frowning. "This isn't helping. I think we all just need to calm down. Matt, you'd better drive Sevina to the hospital."

"No! No hospitals." Sevina shook her head immediately, lowering the pack again. Matt frowned at her reaction, then nodded. "Alright. Just, sit there. Don't take that pack off your head." Sevina obeyed, she'd do pretty much anything not to have to go to the hospital. She hated doctors. Matt and Gilbert stepped outside briefly. Matt looked at his father, frowning. "Dad, what do we do? We can't send her home."

"Matthew, listen to me, that girl knows her mind. You gotta trust her to do what's right for her. Some things you just can't help with."

"But-"

"Matt, listen. Just listen. That's all she needs from you right now. Listen to her. Not just to what she's saying, but what she's not. Listen to her silences, listen to her tone. Trust her." Matt frowned at his dad, not sure how to take that, or even how to go about doing it, but if he trusted nothing else, he trusted his dad. He sighed, part of him wanted to drive to her house and beat some sense into her father. What was he thinking, putting his hands on her? Sevina seemed so adamant that it had been unintentional. But what was to stop it from happening again?

Not doing anything, not going over there and standing up for her, felt wrong. Really, really wrong, but he knew that if he did, he'd probably be doing more harm than good. At least whilst she was here, he could keep an eye on her and try and come up with some kind of plan. He took a deep breath, then walked back inside. Sevina looked over at him, lowering the ice from her head. The cut had swollen and the bruise was already starting to darken on her pale skin, but the bleeding had stopped.

Matt walked over to her, leaning against the side and folded his arms. "I'm sorry, for blowing up like that." Sevina shook her head, looking away from him. "It's okay."

"I better get you another shirt." Matt motioned to the bloodstains on the front and shoulder of her tank top. She grimaced and nodded slowly as he left the room again. She was beginning to think that coming over here hadn't been such a good idea. She was just dragging more people into her problems. Problems that she just seemed unable to avoid. She felt like a magnet sometimes, or a target, as if life had painted a bullseye right in the middle of her forehead and launched missile after missile at her. She just wanted it to stop for a while, just so she could breathe and take it all in.

She looked up as Matt returned and wordlessly handed her a black Silver Fox t-shirt. She walked to the bathroom to change, pausing to look at her face in the mirror. The cut looked a lot worse than it was. She sighed and quickly washed her face, getting as much of the blood off as she could, before pulling on the t-shirt. It was too big for her and smelled exactly the same as the last one. As she emerged, she lifted an eyebrow at Matt. "Isn't your brother going to get pissed if I keep stealing all his clothes?" Matt laughed and shook his head. "Jeff has more clothes than he could wear in a year. Don't worry about it. Trust me." Sevina shrugged and sat back down in the kitchen. Matt made her a cup of hot chocolate and they just talked for a long time. Not about anything important, just talking, letting the conversation flow. Sevina was surprised at how much she liked Matt, he was quite a lot older than her and not someone she would normally have pictured herself being friends with, but he was so passionate about his work and so easy to talk to, it was impossible not to like him.

Time went far too quickly and as it got dark, Sevina acknowledged that she really should go home before her dad called the police. As much as she didn't want to, she needed to face him and sort out what had happened today. Matt didn't seem happy about it, but he didn't argue. He drove her home in silence and parked up on the drive. He looked over at her frowning. "You sure you don't want me to come in and talk to him?" Sevina shook her head and tried to smile. "No. As much as I appreciate the sentiment, that would probably be the opposite of helpful." Matt frowned, but didn't protest. He quickly wrote down his cell number and gave it to her. "You call me if you need anything."

"Matt, you're going to St Louis tomorrow."

"Yeah, but I'll come back if I have to."

"Don't be stupid."

"Just…promise me you'll call." Sevina sighed and shook her head, but his expression hardened and she nodded. "Alright. I promise." She knew she wouldn't, but it seemed to make him feel better. She waved, then hopped out of the truck and headed towards the house. She hesitated outside, glancing back at Matt, who was still sitting, watching her. She then took a deep breath and walked inside. "In here, Sevina." Victor's voice was tight and strained as it echoed from the kitchen. Sevina bit her lip, trying to arrange her short hair to hide the worst of the damage on her head, then she walked into the kitchen. "Hi, Dad."


	10. Please!

Sevina had never heard her father apologise, not really and it was a strange, almost surreal experience to have him put his arms around her and apologise over and over. He had insisted on driving her to the hospital, though she'd fought him hard on it. He had refused to take 'no' for an answer. She had sat dutifully, curling her hands into fists as the doctor prodded at her head. She was so tempted to punch him, just to see how he liked it, but she restrained herself. She didn't want to piss her dad off again. She ended up with two small stitches and a big, beige bandaid. She was not happy about either, but she held her tongue.

Victor continued to apologise to her, buying her dinner and letting her watch WWF on the t.v, despite the fact that it wrestling that had caused all the problems to begin with. Sevina had noticed that one of her siblings had cleared the mess in her room. It looked bare without all the posters, but there was no sign of the traumatic scene that had taken place in there. She didn't mention it, but quietly resolved to find out who it had been and thank them. For now though, she just let her father make himself feel better. She was pretty sure that there was nothing he wouldn't do to make it up to her right now and that got her thinking.

Okay, so it wasn't cool to use this situation for personal gain and she had no intention of bringing the subject up, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad to store it up as a kind of 'get out of jail free card' for future reference. Her mind kept going back to being in the ring at Omega and how good it had felt, how free and natural. She'd been like a recovering addict the last few weeks, desperately trying not to fall back into her habits, but she was headed for a relapse, in a really big way. She knew she wouldn't be able to stay away now. The fever had her, the desire. She knew she was going to go back, she just had to find a way to keep it secret, or at least, secret enough that she wasn't shoving it in her dad's face.

She suspected that he knew now, that he was beginning to understand that his reaction was out of proportion. It shouldn't matter what she did in her spare time, as long as her extra curricular activities didn't effect her school work. Sevina fully intended to make this work, one way or the other. The shaky truce with her dad would be tested, she was sure of it, but some instinct told her that she needed to do this and she needed to do it now, before the anger and the despair inside of her completely overwhelmed her. The only thing that made her feel better was wrestling. She needed it to get all the crap, all the demons out of her. She needed to fly, otherwise she was going to fall.

She ignored the curious looks from her classmates in school, all wondering what had happened to her head, but none of them brave enough to approach her and ask. She wouldn't tell them anyway. None of them had bothered with her since she'd started, so she wasn't about to take kindly to them inviting themselves into her life when something unusual happened. She focused on her work as if trying to absorb the information straight out of the books.

She walked around in a kind of daze, just hanging on. It was only a week until she could talk to Matt about her idea, but it felt like it would last forever. A couple of times she considered calling him, but she knew that he would just worry if she did, so she held off. She could wait. She _would _wait. Her family knew something was up with her, but given the size and implications of her argument with Victor, they just assumed she was still reeling from it. She was behaving, she wasn't getting into any more trouble and that was all that mattered right now. If she could just keep her head down and not draw attention to herself, then everything would be alright.

* * *

Matt pulled up to the house, shutting off the engine. He'd dropped Jeff off at the gym and was feeling pretty tired. His body had taken one hell of a beating and he felt like he could sleep for a week. Not to mention, the drive back from Raleigh had been hell in itself, with Jeff singing loudly and being his generally hyperactive self, despite them both being thrown around like a pair of rag dolls in the ring. Matt sighed and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes for a moment.

Sometimes, he wondered if it was worth it, losing match after match, but then he remembered the potential at the end. If they worked hard and earned their stripes, they would get full-time on-air talent contracts and that was the goal. That was the dream. He opened his eyes again and then climbed out of the truck, stretching his aching legs. He pushed through the front door, dropping his suitcase just inside. His eyes fell on the pair of muddy, beaten boots sitting by the door. He knew those boots. He instantly felt anxious. He walked into the family room, to see Sevina curled up on the couch, talking to his dad who was in the armchair and pointing at the t.v, explaining something about what was going on. Matt's eyebrows went up. Well, she didn't look like she was in any trouble. In fact, she looked happier than he'd ever seen her. Her head looked a lot better by now, as well. The bruise had reached that green/yellow stage and the swelling had gone down.

"No, no, no. That just doesn't make sense, girl. Look at it."

"It's not supposed to make sense, Gil. It's a cartoon."

"But he's got really long arms and a really small head." Sevina laughed, then looked up as Matt coughed conspicuously. She grinned at him and sat up a little. "Hi. How was St Louis?"

"Um…good. How have things been here?" He tilted his head in a curious fashion, interested to know, not only what she was doing here now, but how much time she'd been spending here whilst he'd been away. She seemed very comfortable with her surroundings. "Not bad." Matt nodded slowly, shoving his hands into his pockets. "So…um…how come you're here?"

"I was waiting for you to get back, actually. Your dad said I could wait here." Matt's eyes went to his father, Gilbert was smiling and he shrugged. It was very plain that he liked Sevina. She was spirited and ballsy. She was a fighter, she just needed a little guidance from time to time. "How are things at home?" Sevina shrugged, her fingers unconsciously tracing the healing cut on her forehead. "Better. Dad's kind of giving me a wide berth right now. Which is kind of what I wanted to talk to you about." She sat up straight and Matt frowned a little. He didn't know what was coming, but he was sure it was going to put him in a tough situation. "I wanna train at Omega."

"And your dad's gonna let you do that?" He instantly knew that this was the part that was going to be difficult, as she chewed her lip and avoided his eyes. "No, but…if I'm not in matches, surely it wont matter."

"Sevina, you can't train without parental permission. You're still a minor."

"Come on, Matt. Please? I promise, I wont be any trouble and my dad wont sue or anything."

"You've talked to him about this?"

"Not directly, but I know he wont make trouble. Please?" Her face was pleading and Matt hated not being able to give her what she wanted. He sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Kid. I can't." Sevina frowned and stood up, walking over to him. Her face was set and determined, Matt saw the flash of stubbornness in her eyes and it reminded him strongly of his brother. "You know I'm good. You know that I can do this."

"That's got nothing to do with it, Vina. You're too young."

"Bullshit."

"Watch your mouth."

"Matt, come on!"

"No. I'm not gonna get you into more trouble, or myself."

"My dad said that I can do what I like outside school, as long as I keep my grades up. Can't we construe that as permission?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"I wont give up."

"Sevina, I said no."

"I'm not taking that as an answer."

"Well it's the only one you're going to get."

"Damnit, Matt! Let me train."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Children! That's quite enough for tonight. Sevina, you better go home before your dad starts wondering where you are." Gilbert was doing a very bad job of hiding his grin as he stood up. Sevina looked at him and smiled, then nodded. "Alright." Matt was surprised. He hadn't expected her to give up so easily, but then he caught the flash of mischief in her eyes and knew he hadn't heard the last of this. Sevina waved cheerfully as she left and then Matt turned his eyes on Gilbert. "You had something to do with this, didn't you?" Gilbert grinned at his oldest son and shrugged. "I plead the fifth."

"Dad!"

* * *

"Please, please, please, please, please, please, please!"

"No!" Matt turned sharply to look at Sevina. She'd been following him around the gym for an hour now and it was impossible to get any work done. She looked at him innocently and went silent. He sighed with relief and turned away from her again. "Please, please, please, please, please, please, please!" He growled and closed his eyes, praying for patience. God, this kid was relentless! He walked away form her, but she followed. "Please, Matt! Pleeeeeeeeease! You'll barely know that I'm here!"

"That would make a pleasant change. Go away."

"Okay." Without another word, she disappeared, leaving Matt feeling as if he'd just been had.

* * *

"Fucking Christ! Sevina!" Matt had opened it locker and it was like opening a can of worms, a load of multi-coloured foam snakes burst out at him, each with the word 'Please' written on them in black marker. He growled and slammed the locker shut again. He had to admire her determination, but he wasn't about to tell her that.

* * *

"Hi!"

"Shit! Where the hell did you come from?!" Matt nearly jumped out of his skin when Sevina appeared, seemingly from nowhere, in the passenger side of his truck. She looked at him innocently and pointed to the truck bed. "Over there somewhere."

"Are you stalking me or what?"

"Only slightly."

"Sevina…" Matt rubbed his temples. "You are acting insane."

"Let me train and I'll go away."

"No. Not happening."

"Okay." She had then hopped out of the truck and run off.

* * *

It had been two months and Matt hadn't seen Sevina. He felt kind of bad, but assumed she had given up. He should have known better. He walked into Omega, shifting his bag in his hand, then promptly dropped the bag and let out a bellow of surprise when he tripped a switch, which set off a load of strobe spot lights, which finally settled on the ring. Inside of it was a cardboard cut-out of a WWF diva, with a photo of Sevina's face pasted to it. The cut out was holding a big banner with the word 'please' written on it. It was at this point Matt noticed that the ring was draped with paper streamers, with the word 'please' over and over. He stared at it. Wow. She was something else. He looked at the effort she had gone to and finally felt something in his resolve give way. "Alright! Fine! You can train!" A high pitched squeal met his ears and Sevina ran at him from the distant corner of the gym and threw her arms around him. He couldn't help but laugh as she hugged him. Crazy kid.


	11. Best Birthday, Ever!

**A/N: Thanks you guys, your reviews me smile. I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. This one kinda sucks, cos I'm still battling my writer's block and trying to do time skips without missing out important stuff. Anyway, hope you like it. Please review! :D**

Sevina was true to her word. She didn't bug Matt after that and she kept up her end of the bargain, her grades stayed up, her homework was always done. She didn't hide what she was doing outside of school, but she didn't force it down her dad's throat and he -for his part- turned a blind eye to it. She would train at Omega three times a week, always making sure she was home before her curfew and she never talked about her training when she was at him.

When she was training, Matt watched her closely. She was good. She was really good, but her anger hadn't dissipated. Something was still missing. She didn't find it easy to talk to the others. She was the only girl training there and the guys didn't make life easy for her. More than once, her temper got the better of her and she lashed out at someone and Matt had to step in. Despite this, she worked hard. She worked like she had something to prove, though he wasn't sure if she even knew what that 'something' was.

School was like a living hell and the months passed in a blur. She was just trying to make it to summer break. She hated her classes and she still hadn't made any friends. She didn't mind so much, except that she was also struggling to make friends at Omega. Other than Matt, the only people who talked to her were Shannon, who she had decided was a crazy person and Greg, who was much quieter than the other boys. She knew that it was starting to bug her dad that she wasn't making friends or even seeming to try and make an effort to fit in at school. It wasn't effecting her grades any more, but it wasn't normal.

In an effort to avoid her dad, she spent more and more time at Matt's house, even when he wasn't there. Gil had gotten used to having her around and never complained. Matt and his brother were away so much now, it was nice to have someone to keep the house lively. Sevina liked hearing about Matt's childhood and Gil was more than happy to dish out the embarrassing stories and even breaking out the baby pictures at one point.

This incident was met with such fury from a red-faced Matt, that it had never been mentioned again. Though, whenever he would lecture her, Sevina would look at him, imagining pictures of him in a frilly white dress at his baptism and it cheered her up immensely. She never told him this, not wanting to push her luck, knowing he was already putting his neck on the line for her as it was and she really didn't want to give him any reason to change his mind about letting her train.

Time flew past much quicker than she'd even thought possible. She was so caught up in everything that she had going on, that she totally forgot her birthday was coming up. It was mid July by this point and she only remembered because her dad had asked her if she wanted to do anything special.

She was pleasantly surprised on her birthday by her siblings putting their money together to buy her tickets for Raw is War, which was passing through Raleigh (and the fact that her dad was allowing her to go). She practically raced around to Matt's house to show him. She wanted him to go with her, but typically, he was working that night, so she invited Shannon along instead. By now, Sevina had her own car. She had convinced her dad, since she'd kept her grades high, to let her buy one. It was an old Ford and it was a total heap, but she loved it. She'd fitted a new sound system in it and because Victor wouldn't let her listen to loud music in the house, she often escaped to the car to listen to her new Pearl Jam and Depeche Mode albums.

The day of the show in Raleigh, Sevina pulled up outside Shannon's house and hit the horn three times. She drummed her fingers against the steering wheel impatiently until the front door opened and Shannon bounced out. He was shorter than average, but well built. His hair was always hidden under a fitted, wool cap and a blue bandana. Today he was wearing a Steve Austin t-shirt and baggy, blue jeans. He hopped into the car and grinned over at her. "Hey, this bag of crap gonna make it to Raleigh?" Sevina reached over and slapped the back of his head. "Shut up. At least I have a car."

"If you can call it that."

"Fuck you."

"Ooh, feisty." Shannon snapped his teeth at her and she laughed, pulling away from his house. Sevina liked Shannon, he was easy to be around and his energy was infectious. You couldn't be around him and not pick up on it. He sat back and put his feet up on the dash. Sevina slapped his legs and he reluctantly put them down again. "Skittle?"

"What is it with you and skittles?"

"I blame Jeff."

"Jeff? Matt's brother?"

"Yeah. Multi-coloured fruit candy is his heroin." Sevina laughed and shook her head. She was very curious about Matt's younger brother. They'd never met properly, just passed each other by. It was strange, that in a town this small and with her spending so much time at the house where he lived, they'd never really spoken to each other. Sevina knew from Matt, that Jeff was the kind of person who purposely kept himself busy all the time, not stopping unless he absolutely had to. It was almost frustrating for Sevina, in a way. Since she'd first seen him in the store and the few other times she'd seen him around, he instantly caught her gaze.

He'd changed, the last time she saw him. His hair, which had previously been close to his shoulders, had been cut shorter and all the dye was gone, leaving it it's natural blond. He looked like a completely different person, but still, there was something about him that made you have to pay attention to him, like a kind of magnetic charisma that he didn't even seem to realise was there. "Um…Vina, the light's green."

"Huh? Oh…shit." Sevina quickly drove through the intersection, having totally lost herself in her thoughts. Shannon found this highly amusing. "What's the point in having a car, if you can't drive." Sevina reached over and punched him on the leg. "Shut up."

"What were you thinking about?" Shannon asked, curiously, rubbing his leg where she'd punched him. She didn't seem to realise how freakishly strong she was for a girl who was still in the skinny, ironing-board figure stage of adolescence. Sevina shrugged. "Nothing important."

"A guy?" Sevina shook her head, laughing. "No, not a guy." It was a lie, really, but she knew what Shannon had meant and she hadn't been thinking about a guy in _that _way. "Hey, did Matt tell you where he was working this week?" She asked, trying to change the subject. Shannon just shrugged, looking out of the window. Sevina lifted her eyebrows at him, but didn't think anything of it. Instead she reached over and flicked the stereo on. The sound of Pearl Jam started to play and soon enough Shannon was singing along at the top of his lungs. He actually had a pretty good voice, when it wasn't amplified to a screech. Sevina took one of her hands off the wheel to clamp over his mouth.

The drive to Raleigh was nothing, if not amusing. Shannon didn't shut up for more than five minutes at a time and Sevina was grateful for that. She was never any good at keeping up a conversation and with Shannon around, that didn't matter. She looked up as she pulled into the arena parking lot, then glanced at Shannon, who had dozed off at some point in the last five minutes. "Shan…Shan…Shannon….SHANNON!" Her companion suddenly shot awake and Sevina couldn't restrain her laughter at the shocked look on his face. He pouted at her, rubbing his eyes. "What?"

"We're here." Shannon frowned, then looked out of the window and let out an ear-drum bursting shout of excitement. Sevina put her hands to her ears, then kicked him. "Get out of my car! Get out! Get out! Get out!" Shannon laughed at her, then tumbled out of the car as he misjudged the looseness of the door catch. He landed on the pavement, his legs still inside the car. This set Sevina off into near hysterical laughter and she leaned back in her seat, with tears running down her face. She clutched her sides as her ribs started to ache from laughing so hard.

Eventually they made it out of the car and into the arena. They were seated about five rows back from the barrier. A fact which Shannon complained about profusely, but Sevina didn't care. She was just excited to be there. The first match came on and Shannon was smirking. Sevina was about to ask him what was so funny when the ring announcer's voice cut through. "Introducing, from Cameron, North Carolina…" Cameron? Wait, what? "Weighing in at two hundred and thirteen pounds…" That was really close to- "Matt Hardy!" Sevina's eyes flew wide as she watched her friend's progress to the ring. Holy shit! Matt was a jobber for the WWF! She suddenly turned and punched Shannon hard on the arm. "You son of a bitch! Why didn't you tell me?!" Shannon laughed, rubbing his arm. He didn't answer and they both turned their eyes to ring.

Matt lost, obviously. He went down fighting though. Sevina had never seen him a match before. Her dad's patience wouldn't extend far enough to let her actually go to the matches at Omega, so it was fascinating to her to watch him. He was fast. A lot faster than she'd have thought. When he was in that ring, it was like he was somebody else. He was confident and cocky. He was so far departed from the calm, cool-headed Matt that she knew.

She was over-excited throughout the whole show after that, not sitting down for even a moment. Shannon was right there with her, fuelling her enthusiasm. By the time it was over, they had both shouted themselves hoarse. They half fell outside, laughing. Sevina shoved Shannon and he stumbled, but managed to stay upright. "You total jackass!" Shannon laughed and then by way of apology, crouched down in front of her, with his back to her. She grinned and hopped onto his back. He straightened up, steadying her legs with his hands as her arms hooked in front of his neck. "Hmm…I'm used to these rides feeling a lot higher up."

"Hey! No short jokes, or I'll drop you." Sevina laughed and hugged him from her position. She then noticed that they were heading in the opposite direction of the parking lot. "Where are we going?"

"Your birthday's not over yet, Looka'." Sevina lifted an eyebrow, looking around curiously. Shannon seemed to have a pretty good idea of where he was going as he carried her around the side of the building to a sheltered area that was cut off from the public by a wire fence. There were a lot of people there. "Superstars exit?" Sevina asked curiously. Shannon nodded, then released one of her legs to dig around in the deep pockets of his jeans. He fished out two passes, both on neck strings. He held one up for her. "Put this on." Sevina stared at the backstage pass, before quickly slipping it over her neck. Shannon then shifted her slightly on his back and began weaving through the crowds. The people parted surprisingly easily, but then, they were facing a short guy, carrying a really hyper girl on his back, it was a bizarre sight. When they reached the fence, Shannon indicated to their passes and the large security guard quickly unlocked the gate and let them through, much to the indignation of the other people stood there.

Sevina squealed a little in excitement as they walked into the side door. She couldn't resist another opportunity to make fun of Shannon, well, he had lied to her after all. "Wow."

"What?"

"First time I've had a piggyback and not had to duck for a doorway." Shannon stopped and turned his head look at her. "You want me to drop you on your butt? I'll do it." Sevina grinned innocently and kissed his cheek. "Onward, steed!" Shannon rolled his eyes and kept walking, still seeming to know his way around. "Have you been here a lot?"

"A few times. They have hockey games here." Sevina nodded slowly, lifting her eyebrows. She'd never have figured Shannon as the type to like hockey. Eventually he stopped and she slipped off his back, landing lightly on the floor. She looked around, they were in a large corridor, there was only one room of notability and taped to the door was a sign that read; Men's Locker Room. Sevina's eyes widened a little and she resisted the urge to run inside and see who was in there. She was pretty sure they wouldn't appreciate that.

The door suddenly opened and Matt walked out, tugging lightly on the neck of his t-shirt. He made an 'Oof' noise as Sevina suddenly launched herself at him. He recovered quickly and hugged her. "Hey, Kid." She let him go, then grinned at him. "I can't believe you work for the WWF! Why didn't you tell me?"

"You know I'm not meant to. Can't help it if you find out on your own, though."

"This is so awesome!"

"Uh-huh. Hey, happy birthday." Sevina grinned and hugged him again. "This is the best birthday, ever!" Matt smirked and then put an arm around her shoulders. "Wanna meet the guys?" Sevina stared at him, then looked at the locker room door. "Really?"

"Hey, it's your birthday. Why not?" He then knocked on the door. "You lot better be decent!" He waited a few moments, then opened the door and led Sevina inside. She felt her knees buckle slightly as she looked around. So many familiar faces and yet they were all total strangers to her. She hung onto Matt, trying not to stare, but she just couldn't help it. All the faces turned to look at her curiously. "Guys, this is Sevina and Shannon. They're friends of mine from Cameron and it's actually Sevina's birthday today." Sevina blushed furiously and punched Matt in the ribs, causing him to jerk away from her, wincing. She squeaked. "Sorry!" This caused the men convened in the room to laugh loudly. Sevina looked at them all, once she was sure Matt had recovered. She felt her mouth go slack with shock as Steve Austin approached her. She opened and closed her mouth mutely as he held out his hand. Slowly, she forced herself to react and shook his hand. "Steve Williams. Nice to meet you, Sevina. Happy birthday." Sevina frowned a little at first, then felt like smacking herself. Of course Austin wasn't his real name.

"So, how old are you today?" Sevina turned her eyes to look at none other than Razor Ramon and nearly had a heart attack. It took her a long time to answer. "Um…seventeen."

"Seventeen huh? That's a good age. I loved being seventeen." This time it was Triple H who spoke and again Sevina found herself staring stupidly. "I don't even remember being seventeen." That came from Ric Flair and caused everyone else to laugh. Sevina was grinning. This was officially the best birthday anyone had ever had in the history of the planet.


	12. Leaving Home

**A/N: Just to let you know, I will be taking part in the writer's strike from the 1st-7th March, so I will not be updating in that time. My regular reviewers will know I am quite a quick updater and I am really sorry to make you wait a whole week during that time. I appreciate your support so much, but it's getting annoying that people are favourite-ing and alert-ing my stories, but not reviewing them. It takes two minutes! It's not difficult! My regulars, I love you and you're awesome and I couldn't do it without you! You are my muses! This chapter's for you :D**

**Also, welcome back to my C-bear :D Missed you chickie! And thanks as always to Musichick06 and I Luv Hardy. Also to MesshaBlack! Thank you!**

**And finally...big time skip in this one. Tried not to make it too...Blah...hope you like it :D**

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Sevina rode the high from her birthday for weeks. She didn't talk to her family about it, not wanting to start an argument, but she held it close in her mind at all times, fuelling her through the torture that was school and the renewed arguing with her dad. He was still turning a blind eye to what she was doing at Omega, but he had begun to find new reasons to pick at her. First, for dying her hair red, then for forgetting to fill her car with gas on the one day he needed to use it because his was in the shop. It was little things that added up, but Sevina suppressed the anger. She took it out on the punch bags at Omega and focused her mind on training.

She was more determined than ever that she was going to succeed. She would not give up. She was going to get out of this town, out of this hole that she'd dug herself into. She just needed to find a way to calm her aggression. She was better than when she'd started, but it was still there, that monster in her mind. It was still waiting to burst out and attack at the smallest provocation. She couldn't find the trigger for it, so she couldn't defeat it.

Time sped by. She could see it, feel it. She could feel the frustration building, everyone knew it. Matt watched her even more closely as her graduation approached. She was getting closer and closer to really snapping on someone. She'd been spending more and more time at his house, talking to him, trying to figure out why she couldn't let it go, why it wouldn't go away. The anger was getting stronger. She hated school, she hated her house and the things she was forced to endure there. She hated arguing with her dad all the time, but there was something else. Something so far suppressed in her mind that she couldn't put her finger on it.

The passage of time was meaningless to Sevina. She paid it no attention, though she was not oblivious to it. Others were much more aware of it. Especially the boys she shared the gym space with. Sevina's appearance went through some dramatic changes over the passing months. She filled out in all the right places, she lost the childish roundness to her face and her body fell into proportion. Whilst she was utterly oblivious to the changes, it didn't escape the notice of her peers, who were suddenly paying a lot more attention. She didn't even notice that. She was so used to ignoring everything and tuning the world out.

Her graduation was a surprisingly quiet affair for her. Her family came, of course. She graduated high in her class, having very determinedly kept her promise to up her grades. Afterwards, she simply went home. There were no parties, no celebrations. She hadn't made any friends during her two years at Union Pines High School, so she wasn't included in their revelries. She didn't mind. She wanted to get over to Omega.

Graduation was quickly forgotten, but the new problems began soon after. Her dad was on at her to get a job and she honestly tried, but there wasn't much on offer in Cameron. This irritated him into confronting her. By this point, it was two weeks past her eighteenth birthday. "Sevina, I want to talk to you."

Sevina had just been on her way out of the door to go to Omega. She frowned and dropped her rucksack, looking at her dad curiously. "Okay."

"You still haven't found a job."

"I know. I am trying, Dad. But there's nothing around here."

"Maybe if you didn't spend so much time at the gym, you would find it easier." Sevina's eyebrows shot up. It was the first time her dad had acknowledged that he knew she was going to Omega. Of course, she hadn't hidden it from him and everyone knew he was aware of it, but it had never been voiced before. "Dad, I only go there in the evenings."

"That's not the point. You need to get in your college applications."

"Dad, we've been through this."

"You are _not_ skipping out on college."

"I never said that I was. I'm just putting it off for a year. I want to focus on other things for a while."

"Like wrestling?"

"Yes." There was no point lying about it. Victor ground his teeth together. "I have let you go on with the nonsense for long enough! I want it to stop."

"I'm not going to stop going to Omega!"

"You are not going to be a wrestler!"

"Yes, I am!"

"I forbid it!"

"Dad, I'm eighteen! I'm not a kid anymore. I can legally do what I want!"

"Not whilst you live under this roof, you can't!"

"Fine." Sevina's voice was a little defeated as she picked up her rucksack. Victor looked surprised at first, but that was quickly quelled. "I'll have my stuff out by the morning." She then turned and walked out of the house. Victor shouted at her to come back. She ignored him. She'd been threatening to leave for weeks, but she'd about reached her limit. She wanted to go. She couldn't stay in that house much longer anyway. Victor had been trying and she had to give him credit for that, but he just didn't get it. He didn't even try. He still thought, even after all these years, that it was just a phase she was going through and that she'd get over it.

He didn't understand. She loved it. She never felt more alive than when she was in that ring. It brought out the best in her. She could be somebody else when she was wrestling. She could be somebody _more._ More than a screw up and a messed up, angry kid who couldn't make friends and didn't fit in.

She trudged into the gym, feeling a little downhearted. Her eyes automatically found Matt and she smiled at her friend, cheered just from seeing him. She walked over, waiting for him to stop speaking to a couple of the others. He finally turned to her, frowning a little. "What's wrong? You look upset." Sevina chewed her lip for a moment, then shook her head. "Can I crash at your place for a few days? Just til I find somewhere else?"

"What happened?"

"It's not a big deal. Dad blew up. He doesn't want me wrestling anymore."

"This about the college thing again?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe he's right, Kid. Maybe you shouldn't put college off."

"Matt, please…I don't need to hear it right now. Can I stay with you?"

"Sure. You know Dad'll love having you around." Sevina smiled and hugged him, then went to change. Little did she know, someone was looking on who was going to trigger the monster again, all too soon. That night's session went well and Sevina managed to get out a lot of her annoyance at her dad. When they were done, Matt followed her home and they started moving her stuff out. It didn't take long and Victor was shouting insults at them the whole time. It was hard on Sevina and before she left, she stopped and looked at her dad, who was watching her. She sighed and fished her keys from her pocket. She handed them to him. He all but snatched them out of her grasp. "I can't believe you're doing this to me."

Sevina sighed and shook her head. "This isn't about you. It's about me. I need some freedom."

"You're just doing this to spite me." He was trying to get an argument from her, trying to intimidate her into backing down, but she wasn't biting. She approached him and then hugged his unyielding form. She stepped back and looked at him. "Dad…" She paused, then shook her head. "I love you. So please, don't make this harder than it is. I'm only across town. I'll still see you all the time. I have to go, Matt's waiting for me." Victor liked Matt, he had since the first time he'd met him, but he strongly disagreed with their friendship and with Matt letting her wrestle. She was female. Women had only one place in that world and it was not a place he wanted to see his daughter in. He followed her to the door. "It's not right, Sevina!"

She turned to him as she reached her car. "I love you." She said nothing more as she climbed into the car and she and Matt both drove away. When they arrived at Matt's house, Sevina wasn't sure if she wanted to cry or break something. She got out of the car and informed Matt that she was going for a walk. He didn't protest other than to tell her to be careful. She nodded, waved and headed off into the wood behind the house. She was careful of her footing, knowing how clumsy she could be when she wasn't in the ring. She sighed and shoved her hands into her pockets. The air was muggy and humid. They needed rain, though that would not have made this walk any easier.

Sevina stopped when she came across the trampoline ring that Matt and Jeff had made when they were young. She smiled a little, shaking her head and clambered onto it. It was still springy, but not as much as it had been when it had first been built. It had seen a lot of abuse over the years. She sat down in the middle of it and leaned back on her hands, tilting her face up at the sky. She watched as a shooting star streaked across the blackness and then closed her eyes to make a wish.

_I wish I could figure it out. I wish the anger would go away._

She knew it wouldn't happen, but it couldn't hurt to try. She lay back on the trampoline and looked towards the house. She could see the lights, shining through the trees. Matt and his dad had been so good to her over the last two years. She didn't know what she'd have become without them. They felt like family. More than her own. She loved her father and siblings, but they were so caught up in other things that she just vanished into the background. Matt and Gil made her feel like she was important, like she might even be worth something.

They never got mad at her, they didn't despair of her or want her out of the way. They both seemed happy to talk to her all the time and make her feel welcome. She smiled a little. She'd hated this town so much when she'd moved here, but unbelievably, she had found something she hadn't known she was looking for. She felt at home here. She felt safe. All she had to do now, was figure out how to not screw it up.


	13. Unleashed

Life at Matt's house was strange, but not in a bad way. She was sleeping in Jeff's room, because he was travelling with the company. It was…interesting. The room held his, now familiar, smell. She'd worn so many of his clothes by this point. She was sure he must hate her for being such a pain. The room itself was a nice place to be. It was tidy, but that was apparently only because Jeff wasn't using it. Each wall was painted a different colour and here and there, lyrics, poems and general scrawling were written on them. There were a couple of posters and lots of interesting little ornaments that he'd obviously picked up as he went along. There was also a stick figure on the dresser, made entirely out of tinfoil, it's right arm was extended high, it's hand carefully manipulated into a gun symbol.

Sevina was sure she'd seen Matt do that with his hand a few times before. Sleeping in his room, only made her curiosity about Jeff grow even further. She stopped short of going through his closet and his drawers. That would just be plain rude. She didn't spend much time in there. Usually she was hanging out with Matt at Omega and when he was working, she helped Gil around the house. It turned out that Sevina was a terrible cook, but a very good organiser. She kept the house clean, whilst Matt and Gil did all the cooking.

She'd been staying with them for two weeks. Finding somewhere else was proving more difficult than she'd first thought, if she wanted to stay in Cameron and for some bizarre reason, she did. She liked staying at Matt's. She felt calmer. There was no conflict, nothing to rile her or wake the beast. She only snapped a couple of times at Omega and began to feel like maybe she was finally getting a handle on things. She had no idea what was waiting for her.

"Matt! Give me the keys, I'll go open up and you can meet me there once you've finished breakfast." Sevina was hyped. She always seemed to be up and about earlier than everyone else and right now she knew Joey, Greg and Shannon were all gonna be hanging around outside Omega, with nothing else to do. Matt looked at her, a pancake hanging from his mouth. He groped around in his pocket for a minute, then threw her a set of keys. She caught them deftly, saluted and jogged outside, pausing to kiss Gil's cheek.

She stopped at the diner to get herself and Matt some coffee. As she was walking back to her car, she encountered a vaguely familiar face, but she couldn't quite put her finger on the name. The girl was her age, with extremely blonde hair, ice blue eyes and far too much fake tan. She wore no make-up, but that just made the orange tint to her skin stand out even further. She approached Sevina casually, with a bright, blindingly white smile. "Hi!" Sevina frowned at her a little, setting the coffees on the roof of her car. "Um…hi." She wasn't really sure what to say. She still couldn't figure out who this girl was.

"You're looking at me like you don't know me!" The girl let out a high pitched laugh that almost made Sevina wince. "Yeah…I'm not very good with names."

"It's Julie, silly. We had Math and Gym together."

"Right, of course. Sorry. Hi, Julie." Sevina forced herself to smile politely, but she still had no clue who she was. She really just wanted to get over to Omega and not stand here talking, but she knew she had to start making an effort. Julie seemed more than willing to cover the awkward silence. "How have you been?"

"Good. You?"

"Oh just great! I got a job in Raleigh with Daddy, it's pretty boring, but lots of money. This girl needs to shop!" She let out another squeal-like laugh and Sevina forced herself not to cringe at the sound. She even managed to keep her fake smile. "That's great. I really should go. Matt will be waiting for me."

"Oh, that's right! You guys live together now!"

"Well, actually, I'm just staying with him til I get a place of my own." Julie pealed off another laugh and rested her manicured hand on Sevina's arm. "Oh you don't have to play coy with me, honey. We all knew you were dating him."

"I'm sorry?" Sevina stared at her like she was insane. She just laughed again and Sevina wanted to punch her, which was a totally unjustified reaction that she firmly repressed. "It's hot! Dating an older guy! I mean, okay, so he's a bit…well…that whole family's a bit weird. But hey! Who are we to judge? You've always been a bit of a social stick in the mud, no offence. You're perfectly matched!" Sevina continued to stare at her, her hands curling into fists. She forced herself to speak, to do something to remove herself from this situation before he got into trouble. "Do you even know him, Julie?"

"Well, no. I don't like to hang out with those types."

"What types exactly?"

"Well, those wrestler types. They're obviously compensating for something." She giggled as if she were letting Sevina in on a very secret piece of gossip. Sevina felt her nails digging into her palms as she fought for some semblance of control. The monster was there, it was ready to attack, but she was fighting. She was fighting so hard. "You know what, Julie. This has been great, but I really have to go."

"Oh, have I upset you?"

"No, I'm just in a hurry."

"You look upset."

"I'm fine."

"Are you gritting your teeth, that's really bad for you." Julie leaned towards her, peering at her face. "You should really grow your hair and get some tan, honey. You look like death. You might even be almost pretty if you put some effort into it. You shouldn't let yourself slide like that, it's no wonder you can only get wrestlers." Again Julie giggled, as if she were doing some kindness and Sevina snapped. The monster roared and the next thing she knew, Julie was standing there with scolding hot coffee dripping off her face and clothes. The other girl let out a shriek. "What are you doing! You freak! Look what you've done! Do you know how much this dress cost?!"

"Fuck you, Barbie!" Sevina shook her head and jumped into her car, speeding off fast enough to spit dirt all over the coffee-covered blonde. She knew she needed to calm down, but she couldn't. She couldn't shake it. It was like her blood was pumping faster around her body and she just wanted to turn around and beat the crap out of that girl. She skidded to a stop outside of Omega and threw herself from the car. She needed…something. She needed to get at the punch bag. She needed to get it out. She felt like her whole body had been invaded by some shaking mass that was making her thoughts into a confused mess.

As predicted, Shannon, Joey and Greg were waiting outside. They could instantly see that Sevina was upset. They'd all seen her temper before, so they knew to leave well alone. She fumbled with the keys, her hands shaking as she threw the doors open. She didn't bother waiting for the others, or even getting changed. She went straight over to the punch bag and starting pounding the hell out of it.

The other three watched her anxiously. Joey leant towards Shannon, whispering a lot less quietly that he'd thought. "Wow, she's really freaking out." Sevina heard and suddenly stopped. She spun around and stalked towards him, glaring at him, her navy eyes on fire. "You got something to say, Adam?!" She must have been really pissed to use Joey's real name. He shook his head frantically. "No, I was just-"

"Just what?!" Joey got defensive, he hadn't done anything wrong and he didn't deserve this. "Hey! Don't wig out on me, just 'cause you're having a bad day!" That was all she needed, just a rise and excuse. Her fist connected with his face hard enough and unexpected enough to knock him to the ground. She proceeded to pound the hell out of him. Shannon and Greg tried to hold her off, but received a couple of good punches for their efforts. She smashed Joey's head off the floor, splitting him open. The monster inside of her was screaming, roaring so loudly that she couldn't think. She couldn't see. She couldn't breathe. She felt like she was out of her body, watching it happen.

"Sevina!" Nothing. Everything was suddenly gone.


	14. Jeff

**A/N: Thank you to Musichick06, I Luv Hardy and MesshaBlack, you guys rock. Thanks for sticking with this. So, this is the one you've been waiting for. It make not go exactly as you'd expected. Enjoy :D

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When she woke up, it was dark. She frowned, her head was pounding. She shifted slightly, realising that she wasn't in bed. It was dark, but from what she could tell she was on a couch, with a blanket over her. It smelled like Matt. She must be at his house. _How…what…? _Slowly, very slowly, it started to come back to her. Like water ebbing back, it sank into her mind. She'd lost it on Joey. She got flash images. Julie's face. Joey's face. Her fist. Joey on the floor. Greg and Shan. Blood. God, blood everywhere. _What the hell did I do?!_ She sat up sharply, but a firm hand came down on her shoulder and pushed her back down. "Easy, Kid."

"Matt?" She peered into the darkness, she could just about make out his figure. A light suddenly came on. It was the lamp on the coffee table. Sevina winced, shutting her eyes against the intrusive brightness. She opened them again a second later, searching for Matt's face, needing to know how bad it was. The grave expression on his face confirmed her fears. She felt her heart sink and her stomach twist with guilt and anxiety. "Is he okay?" She asked in a small voice. Matt sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "He has a bad concussion, but he'll be fine."

"Matt, I'm so sorry. I-"

"Vina…what the hell happened?" Sevina sighed and looked down. She sat up slowly, rubbing her hands down her face. "I don't know. I saw this girl in town and she… It was like…a switch went off in my head. I don't really remember what I did, just bits and pieces."

"You could have really injured him, Sevina. You could have killed him the way you were bouncing his head off the floor. If you hadn't passed out when you did…" Sevina covered her face with her hands, pulling her knees up to her chest. She didn't need him to tell her, she knew. She knew what could have happened. She wouldn't have ever thought herself capable of it. She didn't know what was wrong with her. Her dad had been right. She was broken. She was just…broken. She couldn't get anything right. She had everything. She had good friends, a nice place to stay, she had Omega…

She moved her hands and rested her forehead on her knees. She turned her face outwards slightly, but didn't make any effort to look at Matt. "I can't train anymore, can I?" Matt was silent and Sevina took all the information she needed from that. She sighed heavily and squeezed her eyes tightly shut, refusing to let the traitorous tears escape, but she could hardly contain them. She felt like she'd burst from the unhappiness swelling inside of her. She felt like she was being wrenched in all directions, but at the same time, about to internally combust.

"I'm sorry, Kid, but your blow-outs…they're getting dangerous." _Dangerous._ The word echoed around her head like he'd shouted it. She was dangerous. Like a wild animal that had to be contained for everyone's safety. She slowly lifted her head, feeling a solitary tear escape and run down her face. She brushed it away impatiently and took a deep breath. She shoved it all down, pushed the hurt and the anger and the guilt way down and threw up her defences. She shrugged as if it didn't matter and put a cocky smile on her face. "It's cool."

Matt frowned, watching her. She wasn't looking at him. He knew what she was doing. He could so clearly see it now. He knew her so well. She was trying to protect herself, trying to not feel what she was feeling. She did it time and time again and it all built up until one of her blow-outs happened. She never let it out in the right way. Matt had tried to teach her, but he just couldn't seem to get it across to her. It was like he was talking, she was listening, but the words just weren't connecting.

"Sorry to interrupt. Matt, can I talk to you?" Sevina frowned, her head snapping round. Jeff was stood in the doorway, looking at his brother. Matt nodded and stood up, following Jeff from the room. He didn't know what he wanted, but there was very thoughtful look on the younger man's face. When they were in the kitchen and out of Sevina's ear shot, Jeff turned to look at Matt, an almost determined expression on his face. "Let me train her."

"What?" Matt stared at his baby brother like he'd grown a spare head. "You heard me, Matt. Let me train her."

"Jeff, you work even more than me."

"I'll take time off."

"You don't even know her. Why would you do that?" Jeff sighed, running his fingers through his mid-length hair. He looked at Matt consideringly, then shrugged. "She means a lot to you. I know you want her to succeed. I know you see something in her, I've heard how you talk about her. Besides, I need a break from the road."

"Jeff, she's got a lot of problems. I don't think she can get over them."

"I can help her." Jeff sounded so adamant that Matt's eyebrows went up. "What makes you so sure?"

"Because I _was_ her. Don't you remember? After Mom died…I was just like her, but I had you and Dad. She doesn't have that."

"I dunno, Jeff. You're still just a kid yourself."

"I'm twenty-two. Give me a break. Come on, Matt. Let me train her."

"Jeff, she's dangerous."

"No, she's angry. She's scared and she's messed up. There's a difference. Matt, you gotta trust me on this. I can help her." Matt looked at him with clear conflict in his face. He wasn't sure. Jeff was pretty level-headed these days, but he'd noticed the similarities between him and Sevina for a while now. If he put them together, was he really prepared for the possible fallout? What if they killed each other? What if Sevina's problems dragged Jeff back down too? He loved Sevina as if she were the little sister he'd never had, but he'd tried so hard to help her, without success. He wasn't even sure if it was possible at this point. Still, that weird nagging feeling he'd had when he first met her was back. He _wanted_ to help her. He wanted to do whatever it took to make things better for her. Maybe Jeff was the right person to do that. Maybe it was worth a try. He sighed heavily. Jeff knew he'd won. "Alright, but the first sign of trouble and it's done."

Jeff nodded, half tempted to cross his fingers behind his back. He already had a plan for how to help this girl and he knew Matt was going to really hate it. "You should go tell her." Matt nodded and went back into the family room to tell Sevina that Jeff was going to be training her one-on-one from now on. He wasn't sure how she'd react, but he was about to find out.

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Sevina entered the gym nervously. It had been a week since she was here last and she wasn't sure about the reception she would receive. The others all turned to look at her, falling silent and she flushed slightly. Her eyes found Joey, he looked as anxious as she did. She took a deep breath and approached him. "Joey…I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. I'm really, really sorry. Are you okay?" Joey seemed relieved that she wasn't going to start punching him again. He shrugged, half smiling. "I'm alright."

"I'm really sorry, Joey."

"I know. I mean…it was really uncool, but I get it. Kind of." He frowned a little, then shrugged again. "You're not gonna do it again though, right?" Sevina shook her head fervently. "No. I promise. I just…I don't know what happened."

"So you said. Look, it's fine. I'm okay."

"Sevina." She turned, frowning, her eyes meeting a pair of startling emerald and she froze in place. Of course, Matt had told her that Jeff would be training her, but she still wasn't sure how she felt about that. Jeff held his hand out. "We haven't been introduced properly. I'm Jeff." Sevina hesitated, then reached out and shook his hand. "Hi." Her tone was stiff and it was clear she wasn't certain about this. The incident with Joey had her questioning everything and she wasn't even sure she should be here after what had happened. This guy didn't know her, what if he said something that made her freak out again?

"Shall we?" Jeff indicated to the ring and Sevina dutifully followed. She stood opposite him, her arms folded rigidly across her chest, a frown set on her face. "Well, you're not gonna do much wrestling like that. Relax, Kid."

"You're not that much older than me."

"Old enough. Now come on, relax." Sevina scowled at him and unfolded her arms, letting them fall loosely to her sides. She had a feeling this was a bad idea. All her curiosity about Jeff was irrelevant at this point. She was too tense to care. He seemed to notice and he approached her slowly. "You're thinking too hard. I told you to relax." His voice was light and cheerful, Sevina glared at him, deciding on the spot that they were not going to get along. "I'm trying." She said through gritted teeth.

"No, you're not. If that's you trying, then we're wasting our time. You obviously don't know what you're doing." His tone was extremely dismissive and Sevina's eyes widened in shock. Who did this guy think he was? Just because she was friends with his brother did not give him the right to talk to her like that. She felt the irritation growing, but forced it down. She was not going to blow up again. Not again. "I know what I'm doing." Her voice was tight with the effort of containing her temper, which was already so close to the surface with tension.

"Sure you do. You know what? Matt might have felt sorry for you, but I don't. You're just some snot-nosed kid, who throws a tantrum when she can't get her own way."

"What?! You don't even know me!"

"Oh please. I've seen hundreds of kids like you. Spoiled little brats." Sevina choked on air, just staring at him. What the hell had she done to deserve this. She wasn't going to stand here and be insulted. She turned to leave the ring, but Jeff grabbed her and spun her to face him. She gasped in shock and stared up at him. "What, you're gonna run away now?"

"Let me go!"

"Why? So you can go pound some other poor kid because someone insulted you?"

"Fuck you!"

"Not in a million years. Now get back in the middle of the ring and show me what you've got." Sevina glared at him and pulled herself free of his grip. She shook her head. She wasn't going to do this. She wasn't going to lose it. Not this time. She turned away from him, but he grabbed her again, his hands closing tightly on her upper arms, holding her firmly in place. "Come on, Princess."

"Get your hands off me."

"Fight me."

"No."

"I'm not letting you leave until you do."

"Then I guess we're gonna stand here all night."

"What's the matter, Kid? You were so ready to pound on Joey last week. We all know you like to fight people. Even your own family from what I hear." Sevina caught her breath sharply, ripped one of her arms free and slapped him hard across the face. The impact caused him to move back slightly, but he didn't release his hold on her other arm. She glared at him furiously. "You don't know anything about me or my family!"

"I know you've made your father's life hell, even though he's busting his ass trying to raise five kids alone." Shock caused colour to rush into Sevina's face and she had to physically restrain the urge to hit him again. Is this what Matt said about her when she wasn't there? Did people really think that? Was that how it looked from the outside?

Right now she hated Jeff. She hated him for making her feel like this. She was trying to hard to be good, trying so hard not to let her temper rule her and here he was practically dragging it out of her. "No wonder your mom left." Jeff's words hit her like a physical blow and he saw her face tighten in distress. He waited, ticking the seconds off and then she blew. Her hand, closed into a fist this time, connected with the side of his face. He released her arm and she all but jumped on him, swinging her fists at him. He didn't stop her, but moved enough that most of her blows didn't connect.


	15. The Trigger

**A/N: As I was writing this, I wasn't sure what the outcome was gonna be. I wasn't sure if she was gonna give in or if she was gonna kick him in the balls and run away. Here's what I came up with. Thanks for the reviews, I love you all, you know who are :D Enjoy!

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When tiredness began to slow her down, Jeff quickly grabbed her wrist and spun her so that she was pinned underneath his body, her hands trapped on either side of her head. She continued to try and fight him, so he straddled her waist, his legs on either side of hers, holding them tightly together so that she couldn't move. She was breathing hard, glaring at him. Her navy eyes were flashing angrily. Jeff waited again, until her breathing had slowed and he spoke in a very calm, mellow tone. "So that's it."

Sevina frowned a little, not knowing what he meant. She tried to pull her wrists free, but he pressed down harder until she gasped in pain. She looked up at him with pure hatred in her gaze. He looked down at her, perfectly calm. "It's your mom that sets it off."

"Get the hell off me!" Her voice bounced around the gym. The others had watched all this going on, but knew better than to comment or make their attention known. Jeff didn't let her go, he just stayed where he was as she fought against him again. When she settled, he spoke. "What's her name?" This set her off again, she swore at him, called him names and tired with all her might to throw him off. He didn't move. "What's her name, Sevina?" Sevina glared up at him, once more breathing hard, some of her hair and fallen into her eyes and her breath stirred it. She wanted to kill him, she wanted to rip his face off and kick the hell out of him. Why was he doing this?! It wasn't fair! She'd been doing so well. "What. Is. Her. Name?" He repeated his question, slowly over-pronouncing each word. "Angela! Her name is Angela!"

"Where did she go?"

"I don't know! Get off me!"

"How old were you?"

"Let me go, you freak! Let me go!"

"How old were you when she left?"

"Let go!"

"How old?"

"Five! I was five!" She tried to kick her legs, but they were trapped between his. By this point, the others had decided to leave. They didn't want to stick around to watch this happen, knowing that Sevina was probably going to commit murder as soon as she was free. Jeff didn't release her, he just pushed on. "What was she like?"

"This is none of your business! Get the fuck off me!"

"Was she pretty?"

"Fuck you! I hate you!"

"Was she funny?"

"I hate you! I hate you!"

"What was she like, Sevina?"

"I don't remember!"

"Why? Why don't you remember?"

"How the hell should I know! Let me go!"

"What did she look like?"

"I don't remember!"

"What colour was her hair?"

"Get the fuck off of me!"

"How tall was she?"

"I don't know!"

"Why don't you know?! Why don't you remember, Sevina?!"

"Because I can't! Because it hurts too god-damned much to remember!" Jeff finally stopped. He fell silent, letting it settle. There were tears, running down Sevina's face and only now did she realise she was crying. Her whole body was shaking from it. Jeff let her go, a little cautious in case she decided to attack him again. She didn't she just rolled onto her side and curled up. All the walls, all the barriers had suddenly crashed around her and the memories that she kept so far at bay, rushed back. Her mom, the waster who had walked out on them, the only person who had ever seemed to have time for her, had turned her back and walked away.

She ruined everything. She'd given birth to the monster that now resided inside of Sevina. She'd helped it grow. All the years, never being allowed to ask why, never being allowed to ask about her mom, it had all built up, getting bigger and bigger, the anger getting stronger and stronger. The walls had built up around her, protecting her, stopping anything else from hurting her. Every snipe from her father, every missed school production, every night working late, all the jibes from the kids in school, the laughter, the taunts, all stored up inside, pushed down so that it couldn't hurt, all adding to the ball of anger which centred around one person, one face, one memory.

Jeff moved closer to her again, putting his arms around her waist and lifting her. She swung for him weakly, but he ignored her, pulling her tightly against his chest and just holding onto her as her body tried to pull itself apart with sobs. He sat with her, in the centre of the ring as it all poured out of her. She tried to escape from his arms a few times, but Jeff was relentless. She needed to get it out. She needed to expel that demon. That monster in her chest had to go, it had to be banished from her life.

He remembered, all too clearly, his own moment like this. It took him a long time after his mom died to acknowledge the grief and that was with the help of his dad and Matt. Sevina hadn't had anyone to help her with this, so it had just built and built to the point that it was so far beyond her control that it was actually taking control of _her_. She was losing herself inside of this character that she played. This tough chick who could handle anything and wasn't scared of anyone.

The first time he'd really seen her, he'd recognised it. She'd been in the ring with Matt, cocky and confident, but it had been there. Underneath the smirk and the attitude, had been the uncertainty, the fear that she wasn't good enough, that more people were going to leave or taunt her because she didn't measure up. He'd heard from Matt that her dad was constantly reminding her how much she was like her mom to the point that even looking in the mirror made it hard for her. She had to swallow a hatred for herself, for her reflected image that so closely resembled the face that she refused to remember.

He'd heard her talking to Matt a week ago, heard the moment in her voice when she realised that everything was out of control and that it had cost her the one thing in her life that gave her some peace. Then she'd brushed it off, she'd thrown the walls back up and cowered behind them, fighting the sting of rejection. That had been the point which made up Jeff's mind. He'd watched Matt getting more and more frustrated that nothing he was doing was helping and he couldn't ignore it anymore. Matt loved Sevina and so Jeff loved her as well, whether he knew her or not, which meant he had to do anything in his power to help her.

They must have sat there for at least two hours, before Sevina's sobs had quieted to gentle hiccups. She had long since given up fighting against Jeff and was now just leaning against him, her head on his chest and her eyes closed. Exhaustion swept over her. She was so tired, but she felt somehow…freer. Like something was gone. There was a quietness in her mind and it felt filled with space, as if there were so much more room in her brain now. She moved slightly, turning her face into Jeff's shirt, his very familiar smell filling her senses, despite him being almost a stranger to her. She couldn't find it in herself to be mad at him. She knew she should be, ordinarily she would be, but the monster was quiet. It was silent.

She felt a hand on the back of her head, gently stroking her hair and it was soothing instead of irritating. Jeff's other hand was wrapped around her waist, supporting her. He said nothing. He just sat, perfectly still. She could hear his slow breathing and feel the steady beat of his heart in his chest. The sound filled her up, sending a strange calmness through her. His heartbeat was so constant, so perfectly regular. She let out a small sigh and opened her eyes, slowly lifting her head. Jeff moved back, taking the signals from her movements. She lifted her eyes to look at him, frowning slightly. He just looked back at her steadily. "I'm sorry. I know that was…cruel-"

"Don't…don't apologise." Sevina shook her head slowly, still filled with that strange sense of peace and calm. She moved away so that she was out of his arms, but she didn't get up, she just shifted onto her knees, sitting back on her heels. She looked at her hands, which were folded at the top of her legs. "I'm not mad." She flicked her eyes to Jeff again and saw him smile, only a little. He then stood up and gently helped her to her feet. "Let's get you something to eat and then go home."

Sevina nodded. She didn't feel hungry, but she knew that the tears would come again and she was going to need some energy for that. She felt completely drained and wanted nothing more than to curl up in her-…his bed. She felt a little guilty that he had been relegated to sleeping on the couch, since she was in his room, but he didn't mind. He could pretty much sleep anywhere.

Sevina didn't protest as he sat on the second rope to lower it for her and then jumped down to help her onto the ground. She didn't feel awkward as his hand gripped her waist to lower her from the ring, nor as he put a protective arm over her shoulders. It felt normal. Like it was something they did every day. It had been a less than brilliant start, but she had a feeling that this would be the making of a very strong friendship.


	16. Fuelling The Gossip

**A/N: Helloooooo! I missed you all! This chapter's a little short, but I think you're gonna like it...big moment :D Thank you to: Musichick06, I Luv Hardy, MesshaBlack, Sonib89, Anis C-bear and of course, the lovely JenniferRayne! I adore you guys! Truly! So, on with the show!

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"Fuck you!" Sevina's hand connected with Greg's face, causing the young man to fall back slightly. Whatever he'd said had riled her enough to lash out and in the next instant she felt strong arms around her waist, pulling her back. The familiar smell hit her and she heard his voice talking soothingly in her ear and the anger drained away. She went still, leaning back against Jeff's chest slightly as his hands rested firmly on either side of her waist, not restricting, just holding in a way of warning that if she decided to try it again he would quite easily be able to restrain her. She looked at Greg, whose expression was caught between shock and anxiety. Sevina frowned and moved away from Jeff, who'd felt the tension leave her and felt confident in letting her go. Greg jumped back a step, but seemed to notice that the aggression was gone from her eyes. "I'm sorry. Greg, I didn't mean to."

Her words surprised everyone who was stood around. Jeff just smiled to himself as Greg nodded and accepted her hug a little nervously. She was getting better at this. The others were finding it easier to deal with her outbursts, especially since Jeff's presence seemed to instantly calm her and no real damage was ever done. Sevina was always going to have a short temper, but none of them felt they had to tip-toe around her anymore in case she snapped.

Jeff knew his time with her was limited and that he'd be going back to work soon, but he arranged it so that he would be at home four days out of seven so he'd still be able to keep an eye on her. Since she had started getting a handle on her anger, her wrestling abilities had come on leaps and bounds. She wasn't a huge high flyer, mainly because she was actually kind of freaked out by heights, but she could do it. She was quite technical, preferring straight up mat wrestling to fancy moves.

Once things had calmed down with Greg, Sevina turned to Jeff again, frowning. She was frustrated, Jeff could see it. She hated losing control. She was getting better, but she wasn't quite there yet. She still had a long way to go before she could be 'normal'. Jeff said nothing, just put an arm over her shoulders and led her over to the benches around the edges of the gym. He pushed her down gently to sit and then sat beside her. "What did he say?" Sevina ran her fingers through her short hair, frowning at the floor in front of her. "Nothing important."

"Come on, Kid. Tell me." Jeff's tone was coaxing and Sevina lifted her eyes to him, narrowing them slightly. She was sure he knew how his personality effected people, making it impossible to deny him anything he asked for. She couldn't help but smile a little, though she fought it, not wanting him to see it. He was big headed enough as it was. "He just…he was just making fun of me. Well, of us actually." She wrinkled her nose at how bad that sounded, Jeff's eyebrows had risen towards his hairline and Sevina let out a long breath, rolling her shoulders uncomfortably. "He just started making snide remarks about how I was only doing so well because I was sleeping with the instructor."

Jeff laughed out loud and shook his head, leaning back a little so that his elbows were resting on the bench behind. "Well, it's not like the first time it's been said."

"I know, but it bugs me."

"Why?" Jeff tilted his head curiously and Sevina sighed, dragging both hands through her hair from the back to the front and then running them down her face. She grimaced, letting her hands fall heavily against the top of her legs, twisting her body so that she was facing him, but she didn't look at him, she just stared into space. "Because, what if the only reason I've been progressing so well, is because of you? I know you have to go back to work soon and what if I can't keep this up on my own?" She still didn't look at him and Jeff knew instinctively that it was because she was very uncomfortable with voicing her fears.

He sat forward again and gripped her shoulder, the contact had the effect of making her look at him. "Vina, it's not me that's made you better. You've done that on your own. I'm just…a stepping stone, a tool of your success." Sevina looked at him with a sceptical expression, but he simply pulled her into a hug and spoke in a quiet tone. "Don't listen to what people say, Kid. They're gonna try and beat you down and make you feel less than you are. You've got a talent, so run with it." Sevina sighed, letting her head rest against his chest. His heartbeat echoed in her ear, steady and constant, just like Jeff. He was different. Just like her. A 'social stick in the mud', but somehow he'd found a way to overcome that. He'd broken through the barriers and instead of finding a niche, he'd created one. People were drawn to Jeff, like eyes to fire, there was just something in him that made you want to stop and pay attention to him.

"Okay." It was the only reply that Sevina could manage. She doubted she'd ever be level-headed enough to totally ignore the gossip and the snide comments. That was the big difference between herself and Jeff. For all their similarities, her inability to let things just pass over her head made her stand at polar opposites with him. Jeff had told her many times, to 'ride the wave wherever it took her', but she wasn't sure how to do that. She wasn't sure how to let go. She sighed and moved out of the safe circle of his arms. Her eyes flicked across the gym and found Greg and Joey who were looking their way and snickering.

She felt the frustration and anger bubbling up inside her again, but Jeff's voice brought her back. He had noticed her gaze and a smirk had appeared on his face. Greg and Joey, even Shannon for that matter were not entirely unfounded in their amusement and in their teasing had presented him with an interesting opportunity. He leant forward again, his mouth close to Sevina's ear, preventing anyone else from hearing what he was saying. "Why don't we actually give them something to gossip about?" Sevina looked at him with a bemused and curious expression. Jeff let out a low chuckle and spoke without even a hint of self-consciousness. "Let me take you out for dinner."

Sevina's navy eyes went a little wider than usual and her mouth popped open slightly with shock. Had he just asked her out? Yes, she was pretty certain that was what had happened. She'd never considered Jeff in that way. She looked at him now with a more objective gaze. Alright, so he was easy on the eyes. Scratch that; he was _very_ easy on the eyes. He was interesting, unique and sweet in his own way. It was strange for Sevina, picturing him as dating material rather than a trainer and friend. Curiosity however, got the better of her and a small smile lifted the corner of her mouth. She nodded. "Alright."

Jeff grinned at her, having waited patiently for her answer whilst she, quite obviously, checked him out. He didn't mind. Jeff wasn't arrogant, but he was confident. He had no reason not to be. He lived his life as he wanted to, without needing the justification of others to make him feel better about himself. If she had turned him down, he wouldn't have been offended. Still, she was a beautiful girl, he'd have to be a fool not to notice and they got along extremely well. So, why not give it a go? What was the worst that could happen?

"Awesome. I would say 'I'll pick you up at seven', but since you live with me…"

"I'll meet you at the front door at seven." Sevina laughed and nodded, then leaned over to rest her head in the crook of his neck as he put an arm around her in a light hug. She then stood up and pointed at Greg. "You!" Greg pointed at himself innocently, grinning underneath the faked anxiety. "Yep. Ring. Now!" Jeff laughed, shaking his head as Sevina ordered Greg into the ring. As her skills and control grew, so did her confidence. She couldn't see it, she probably never would, but she was well liked. Everyone saw her struggles, they saw how hard she was fighting to change herself and they respected that. More than anything they respected her reasons for it. She wasn't trying to change to please anyone else or to fit in, she was doing it for herself, to be able to look in the mirror and not hate the person looking back. Slowly, piece by piece, she was pulling herself back together. She didn't have the support from her family that she should have, but she was building a new family, one that would be there when everything went wrong and not judge her if she slipped up sometimes.

Jeff also knew, but he would never ever say this to her, that he was going to get some stick for taking her out. He'd been mulling it over in his head for a few days, but it was only when Joey announced that he was considering the same thing, that he'd made his decision. He had no doubt that Sevina would have turned Joey down and he'd half expected her to do the same to him, but he wasn't going to be the one who sat by and watched. He wasn't expecting an epic romance or even that they would get anywhere, but he wanted to know. That was all. He was curious to see if it could work. He would be very pleased if it did, but he wasn't going to put it all out there and make things overly complicated. One date. That was all. It would probably end there, but hey, who knows, maybe in ten, fifteen years, they'd be married and everything. He almost laughed out loud at the thought, but instead turned his attention to the playful match going on between Sevina and Greg.

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**A/N: I've had some questions lately about why I make my female OCs quite resistant and almost reluctant to fall for anyone, the simple answer is that I don't want them to be too doe-eyed and needy. I also try and make them relatable, hence why they tend to have unique appearances and well proportioned figures. I don't think the 'barbie doll' image is necessarily a good thing to promote. I'm sorry if anyone finds my stories dull because it takes a while to build up to the big moments, but I am a character writer and I like to present a really well developed character to the reader rather than just give a vague descriptions of appearance and personality before throwing them in at the deep end. Also, I don't tend to class my stories as 'romance' because whilst that is a big element, it's not the main focus, or at least, I don't want it to be. I just want to write something that hopefully gives a view of life behind the cameras without the idealistic tint to it. It's a grimy business and the superstars are real people too, I just want to explore that side of things.**

**Hehe, sorry if that turned into a little rant. Wasn't meant to be. Anywho, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Review, fave, alert, whatever you like, but all love is appreciated! :D**


	17. The Date

**A/N: I am so sorry this has taken so long. I lost my muse and then my laptop busted and I had to go and buy a new one. I am hoping this will be worth the wait. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter; **_**MesshaBlack, Musichick06, Anis C-Bear**_** and **_**I Luv Hardy**_**, I appreciate it so much and to everyone who faved and alerted :)

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"You're doing _what _with my brother?!"

"Matt, don't shout." Sevina rolled her eyes. She was sitting on her-...Jeff's bed, rifling through a pile of clothes, trying to figure out the right combination to wear. Matt was stood in front of her mirror, staring at her like she was some kind of alien life form. He shook his head, his low ponytail swinging forward onto his shoulder. He flicked it back impatiently and went back to staring at her. "You can't go out on a date with Jeff!"

"Don't shout. Why not?"

"He's too old for you." Matt concluded, folding his arms, satisfied that that would be enough to dissuade her. Sevina looked at him with lifted eyebrows and shook her head. "He's four years older than me, Matt. It's not that big of a difference and besides, I'm eighteen. I can date who I want."

"It's weird."

"No, it's not." She didn't look at him as she continued to go through the clothes, finally settling on an outfit. She held it up for Matt's appraisal. "What do you think?"

"I think you've lost your mind." Matt completely ignored the outfit, but Sevina didn't seem to care. She stood up, looking at the outfit once more, before carefully arranging it over her arm and heading for the door, nudging Matt out of the way. "Now where are you going?"

"Well, since you seem to have taken up residence in my room, I am going to get changed in the bathroom." She said nothing more before wandering out and shutting the door, leaving Matt to stare around the bedroom, frowning. He saw Sevina's things, mixing in with Jeff's. The room now had a kind of dual identity and it was weird. Amongst Jeff's ornaments on the shelves were a couple of Sevina's cherished WWF action figures and a few photographs she had taken at Omega. Her clothes were strewn here and there. The closet doors were open to reveal her things, hanging side by side with Jeff's. It was bizarre. Like getting a glimpse into some twisted, warped version of the future in which Jeff and Sevina shared a room. Something which Matt had been certain would never happen.

He looked up as Sevina walked back into the room a few minutes later and kind of stared at her. He was used to Sevina in jeans and hooded sweaters, so seeing her dressed in a long, teal top with thick straps and a short, black, pleated skirt with a blue and green tartan pattern, looking very pretty was a bit of a shock to his system. She sat down on the bed and pulled on her long white socks, completely ignoring him. She grabbed her black boots from under the bed, pulling them on and fastening the many buckles. She stood up, still ignoring Matt and adjusted her weight a little, getting herself used to the rather high platforms. Matt was getting agitated as she continued to ignore him. She half pushed him out of the way to get to the mirror, applying only a touch of mascara and a peach lip balm with the merest hint of colour. She arranged her short hair carefully, then stood up and looked at Matt. "Well, will I do?"

Matt was torn between telling the truth and the desire to lie and have her not go on the date, which was just too bizarre for his mind to handle. Jeff was his baby brother and Sevina was like the little sister he had never had (and at times, had never particularly wanted). It was just plain weird. He sighed, forced to concede by the expectant look on her face. "You look great." Sevina beamed at him and then grabbed her bag, throwing her essentials into it, before kissing his cheek lightly and bouncing out of the room.

She walked carefully down the stairs, pausing for a moment to take in the sight at the bottom. Jeff was stood by the door, leaning easily against the wall, talking to Gil. He had pulled his blue hair back into a neat ponytail and was dressed in a pair of casual blue, bootcut jeans and a slate blue shirt, open at the collar. He was smiling at his father, talking to him in a quiet, mellow tone. He looked perfectly at ease. Sevina pondered the fact that she actually felt a little nervous about this. It was only Jeff. She had no reason to feel nervous. She bounced down the rest of the steps and Jeff looked up when he saw her, he grinned at her and held his arm out. "Ready, M'lady?" Sevina laughed and then paused to blow a kiss at Gil, before motioning to Jeff to lead the way out. She came to an abrupt halt as she saw his truck. She was used to it being just a plain black pick up, but it now had random blotches of white all over it. "What did you do to your truck?" Jeff laughed and opened the passenger door for her, helping her in. "I got bored."

"So you threw paint at your truck?" Sevina tilted her head curiously as Jeff climbed into the driver's seat, grinning, "Yep." Sevina laughed and nodded. Of course. That was Jeff's personality in its simplest definition; doing whatever felt right at the time and just enjoying each moment rather than worrying over every little detail. The nervousness that Sevina had been experiencing evaporated in the ease of conversation. Being around Jeff was a simple thing, there was nothing complicated about it and he always seemed to give off the impression that when he was around, something amazing was never far off. It took a while for Sevina to realise that they were heading out of Cameron and she looked at Jeff, "Where are we going?"

"There's a little restaurant outside of town that I thought you'd like."

"Jeff...are we going to Cracker Barrel?" Jeff laughed and shook his head, "No, Vina." A few minutes later they pulled up outside of a very cute little restaurant and once again, Jeff moved to the passenger side to help Sevina, for which she was very grateful. Negotiating the steps form the truck in her outfit could have resulted in a serious mishap that would have forever dented her dignity, "You know, I wouldn't have minded going to Cracker Barrel." Jeff rolled his eyes and nudged her lightly, taking her hand and tugging her towards the restaurant. "We go to Cracker Barrel every week, Vina." Sevina stuck her tongue out at him, but promised to behave once they got inside.

It was a nice little place and very quiet, so that they could sit and have a normal conversation without having to talk over the noise of a lot of other people. At first it was a little strange, Jeff had forbidden all talk about wrestling and Sevina had been a little worried that she wouldn't know what to talk about, but found herself feeling quite grateful for it because it gave her a chance to get to know a side of Jeff that she had never previously explored. They talked about everything, from their favourite music to their favourite artists. Sevina had seen some of Jeff's art and she was intrigued by it, but had been reluctant to bring it up just in case it was something personal that he didn't want to discuss, but it turned out that he was quite happy to talk about it. Sevina let him lead the conversation; enjoying watching him as he talked about something he was particularly passionate about. He gestured with his hands a lot, leaning forwards subconsciously to emphasise his point. They never ran out of things to say, even when they were eating, they kept stopping to carry on a conversation. All through the meal, Jeff kept checking his watch, as if waiting for something or impatient to be somewhere. Sevina tried not to be irritated by it, but it was definitely bothering her. She said nothing about it, preferring to just enjoy herself. It came to their dessert order and Jeff shook his head, "No desserts. Just the bill." Sevina frowned enquiringly, though she wasn't going to argue. Jeff just smiled at her and there was a definite hint of mischief in his eyes.

They left the restaurant, with Jeff looking very pleased with himself and Sevina very curious. The ride home was quiet, both of them just listening to the stereo. Sevina lost herself in the music for a while, but snapped out of it when they didn't take the turning to go home. She sat forward a little. "Where are we going?" Jeff looked over at her for a moment, and then grinned. "We're not done yet, Kid." Sevina's eyebrows went up and she peered through the windshield as they pulled up outside of Omega. Now Sevina was really confused. She couldn't think of any possible reason that they would be here. Jeff surprised her again as she stepped out of the truck. He moved behind her and gently fastened a blindfold over her eyes. She squeaked in alarm, her hands moving to the fabric that covered her eyes. Jeff's hands instantly grabbed her wrists, pulling them down. He moved to stand behind her, his hands coming to rest on her upper arms and he spoke from very close to her ear, "Trust me." Sevina felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and goosebumps erupt over her skin. She was momentarily stunned. What was that all about?

Slowly, Jeff urged her forwards. They paused and she heard him open the doors, before leading her inside. It was utterly dark and Sevina felt very disorientated, though her mind had created a mental map of the gym. She heard the doors close and then bright lights suddenly invaded the dark of her blindfold. She couldn't see anything, just the impression of the light and moments later it dimmed again, as if most of them had been turned out. "Jeff?"

"I'm here. Don't worry." His voice was again very close to her ear and she repressed a slight shiver. She felt him take her hand, leading her slowly forwards until they reached, what must have been, the side of the ring. Still blind, she let Jeff help her up into it, teetering slightly on the apron, only for him to catch her and steady her then help her through the second rope. Once she felt herself safely on the canvas, her anxiety at being blind started to ease. She felt Jeff's fingers reaching around behind her head to release the blindfold. She blinked rapidly as her eyes focused again. She took in first, Jeff's grinning face and then looked past him and her eyes went a little wide, a bright smile appearing on her face. In the centre of the ring he had set up something that resembled a picnic, only laden with a variety of sweet things. In a wicker hamper, she could see a basket of fresh strawberries and grapes, alongside a mouth-watering chocolate cake and a whole assortment of other lovely looking things. Set to one side was a bottle of champagne, resting in a cooler, with two glasses set beside it.

Jeff watched her reaction, pleased to find surprise and delight in her expression. He hadn't been sure about this. He'd been worried that it was a bit too cliché. Of course he'd given it a wrestling twist, which he'd thought she'd enjoy. Set up in the corner of the ring was a portable television, currently showing classic WWF matches. "Dessert." He said simply and Sevina looked at him, then moved suddenly and hugged him tightly. "Jeff, this is... how did you do this?"

"Shannon helped." Jeff was currently feeling very pleased with himself as he took her hand and drew her to sit in the middle of the ring with him, pouring them both a glass of champagne. He handed one to her and then lifted the other in a toast, "To riding the wave."

"Wherever it takes us." Sevina smiled and touched her glass to his, making a satisfying chink and then sipped the sweet, bubbly liquid. They sat there for hours, talking more, watching the matches on the television, discussing their favourites and sampling the sweet foods that surrounded them and sipping the champagne. Sevina was a little surprised. She had not expected him to go to this effort and she had certainly not expected to enjoy it quite so much. She'd never anticipated finding herself attracted to Jeff. He was Jeff. He was her trainer and her friend, as well as the person whose bedroom she had stolen and whose life she had done nothing but impose on since before they had met. She looked over at him, he was currently fixated on the t.v, a grape in his hand, poised to put it in his mouth, but having been distracted. Sevina couldn't help smiling. His passion for wrestling was so clear, so obvious and it was both endearing and inspiring.

Jeff suddenly turned his head and looked at her, then grinned. Sevina flushed a little and turned her attention to the television. They were both reluctant to call it a night, but it was getting close to 1am and they were both starting to get tired. They drove home in silence, a slight tension in the air around them. The night had gone much better than either of them had expected, but neither were sure how to handle the fact that they found the other much more attractive than previously thought possible. Having spent most of their time together in the gym, it was a bit of a shock to find how well they got along in a social situation. Jeff shut off the engine as they arrived at the house and they both just sat there for a moment. Sevina couldn't stand the silence anymore, so she turned to look at Jeff, "Thank you, that was...brilliant. I had such a good night." Jeff grinned and her and nodded. "Yeah, me too. Sorry for keeping you out so late." Sevina just smiled and shook her head and then they both climbed out of the truck. It was difficult because they lived in the same house, so there was no moment of goodbye at the door.

Sevina bit her lip, frowning slightly at the floor as they approached the house, no doubt Matt and Gil would be waiting inside to find out how the night had gone and ask all number of questions. Jeff went to go in first and she mentally kicked herself, before reaching out and grabbing his hand. He turned to look at her enquiringly, but she silenced him by closing the distance between them, the hand that wasn't holding his reached up to rest on the back of his neck and pull him down slightly as she leaned up and very lightly, almost tentatively pressed her lips to his in a hesitant kiss. She wasn't sure what kind of reaction to expect, but as always, Jeff surprised her. He moved, bringing their bodies in line, resting on hand on her waist, the other coming up to rest in between her shoulder blades, pulling her closer to him as her arms wound around his neck. His mouth coaxed hers open as she felt her heart skip, her breath leaving her. She couldn't believe she was standing here, kissing Jeff and more than that, she was enjoying it. She didn't want to stop!

Eventually, they did break apart, both slightly short of breath, both a little flushed. Jeff rested his forehead against Sevina's closing his eyes. Sevina let her hands fall to rest on his chest, feeling his frantic heartbeat under her fingers and she smiled, "Thank you for tonight." Jeff smiled and opened his eyes, moving back a little to look at her, "You're welcome." They just smiled at one another for a few moments, before Jeff motioned for them to go inside and face the music. Sevina let out a small groan, not wanting to. Jeff laughed and took her hand, lacing their fingers together and leading her in as she shuffled reluctantly behind him.


	18. Contracts

**A/N: This chapter kinda sucks. It's a bit of a filler to get me from A to C, so here we have B. Thank you to; Anis C-bear; my number one fan in everything I do, I cannot describe how humble and honoured I feel to have you as a friend. MesshaBlack, your reviews make me smile and I feel like I know you! Thank you. I Luv Hardy, your continued support means the world to me and I am so grateful for you sticking with me whatever I do on this site. Musichick06, as with the previous, your support has kept me writing and I appreciate it so much. **

**I thought, since I have a small number of regular reviewers that I'd reply to you all a little more personally than before. Thanks you guys. I hope that you continue to enjoy my work and as ever, it is for you that I write it. As well, of course, as all the people who have faved and alerted this story :)

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"Ow! Fuck! I can't do it!"

"Yes, you can. Concentrate. Try again." Scowling, Sevina climbed back up to the top turnbuckle and once again attempted the flying head scissors, but lost her momentum and rotation, landing hard on her back, with Shannon, who had volunteered to help, still standing in the centre of the ring. She lay on the mat, breathing hard, wincing slightly. Shannon looked down at her with a sympathetic expression on his face, and then held out his hand to help her up. "Come on. Try again." Both Sevina and Shannon turned their heads in Jeff's direction and Sevina frowned at him. "I can't do it! I've been trying all morning!"

"Sevina, you _can_ do it. I've seen you do harder moves than that."

"Jeff, I am trying my hardest here, I just can't get it right."

"This is why you need to keep trying."

"I'm gonna break my fucking neck if I keep trying! "

"No, you won't. Don't be so defeatist." Sevina glared at Jeff, feeling the urge to hit him. He had been obnoxious about this all morning. They had a show that night in Raleigh and Jeff was determined that she perfect this move, but try as she might, she just couldn't get it. She was tired and her body was aching and that was without the nerves that came from doing the show later that night. It had been two weeks since they're date and they been out twice in the meantime, they were now seen as an official item, but when they were working, they were working. Their personal relationship never encroached on their professional lives. It was something they had both agreed on, but at that moment, Sevina just wanted to throw something at him and demand that he be nice to her or she would make him sleep in the yard.

"Shan, take five. Vina, outside." There was no arguing with Jeff's tone and Sevina glared at him before rolling out of the ring and stalking outside. Shannon looked at Jeff in a way that said, 'good luck' and then hopped off somewhere else. Jeff grimaced and followed Sevina outside where he found her leaning against the wall with her hands shoved deep into her pockets. He stood in front of her and folded his arms. She didn't look at him. He sighed and shook his head, "Vina, you can do this. Your head's getting in the way. You're thinking too much."

"Right. That clears it up. I'll just stop thinking then." Her voice was heavily laced with sarcasm and Jeff rolled his eyes at her. He could see how irritated she was, not just by him, but by having to be faced with something she felt she couldn't do. She was resisting it, trying to rationalise it and making it bigger than it was in her mind. When faced with a problem, Sevina had a tendency to make it a huge deal. She didn't like not being able to do something and what should have been simple, turned into an entire ordeal.

Jeff moved to put a hand under her chin, tilting her face up to look at him, "Sevina, you _can_ do this. I know you can. You need to stop thinking so much and just let it come naturally. This should be easy for you."

"Jeff, I'm not a high-flyer. You know that."

"You don't have to be. Ric Flair's not a high-flyer, but he can take to the air if he has to." This, Sevina felt, was an entirely unfair argument. He was playing to her favourites, using logic she couldn't argue with and she wanted to hit him for it, but she couldn't. The look on his face was intense and she could see that he really believed in her ability to execute this move. He was right, of course, it should have been easy for her, but her brain was getting in the way, her survival instinct was kicking in and stopping her from completing the move. It was completely counter-intuitive to throw your body into the air like that.

"Alright, alright. I'll give it another try." Jeff grinned at her, and then placed a very brief kiss on her mouth before moving away. Sevina scowled at him and grabbed his arm, pulling him back for a more satisfying kiss. Jeff made a noise of frustration against her mouth and forced himself to let her go after a few moments. "Don't do that." Now it was Sevina's turned to grin as she headed back inside.

She got it. After another two hours of work, she managed to get it right and as the ring was disassembled, ready to be transported to the venue in Raleigh, she went over and over it with Shannon using two crash mats and a set of steps. Shannon was complaining at the end of it because he was sore from being thrown to the mats so many times and eventually Sevina relented, but mainly because she had to leave. Jeff had already gone with Matt to build up in Raleigh, so she was driving there alone. She didn't mind. She turned her sound system up loud and went over the night's match in her life. She was going to be taking part in an inter-gender tag match with Willo' The Wisp, Jeff's current gimmick when he was wrestling at Omega. Now that he and Matt were working for the WWF, he had less time to do events with Omega, but he tried to make as many as possible.

She arrived at the venue in good time, Matt and Jeff had just finished building up the ring and called greetings to her as she entered. She waved, shifting her rucksack higher on her shoulder and approached them. "Hey guys. All set?" They both nodded and Sevina noticed that Matt looked hyped. He wasn't wrestling tonight but there was an excited expression on his face that instantly caught her attention. "What's going on?" She looked between them. Jeff looked a little anxious in comparison to Matt's clear elation. He looked at his older brother, then back to her. "We'll tell you later." Sevina's eyebrows shot up, but she had no time to argue as the other wrestlers were starting to arrive and drawing the boy's attention. She headed to the locker room, deep in thought and almost walked into Greg. "Hey, careful. You alright?"

Sevina nodded and apologised. The match went well. Sevina forgot her preoccupation and focused on what she was supposed to be doing. She managed to execute the flying head scissors without injuring herself and she and Jeff won the match as a result of it. They shook hands with their opponents backstage and headed to the locker room. It was empty inside; all of the others were out by the curtain, watching the matches. Sevina sat down on the bench to pull her boots off and watched Jeff as he moved around with a distracted air. "What's going on, Jeff?" He stopped and looked at her, then sat down beside her. He didn't say anything and Sevina started to feel a little nervous. "Is it that bad that you can't tell me about it?"

Jeff instantly shook his head, "No. No, it's not bad. It's really, really good." Sevina frowned, completely confused. His words contradicted his behaviour completely. "So then why are you walking around as if someone's just signed your death order?" Jeff let out a short laugh, but there was an edge to the sound. He ran his fingers through his hair and twisted his body to face her more fully. "Well, Matt and I have been offered full-time contracts." Sevina's eyes widened and her mouth popped open a little. "Oh my god! Jeff...that's brilliant!" It was everything that they had been working so hard for all this time...so why did he look so downcast. This was amazing, he should have been ecstatic. Why wasn't he? "Jeff? What's wrong?"

"It means we're going to be away _a lot,_ Sevina. We're going to be training with Dory Funk jnr."

"Jeff, this is your dream. This is everything you have ever wanted! Dory Funk is an amazing trainer...what's the problem?" She still couldn't figure out what was bothering him so much about this. She knew, as well as anyone who had ever met either Hardy brother, that all they had dreamed about since they were kids, was wrestling in the WWF. They had worked so hard to get there, to fulfil that dream. They'd been jobbing in for the company for two years now; it was about time that they got this break. Jeff just sighed and sat back, leaning against the wall behind him. He didn't know how to explain. He didn't know how to tell her what was bothering him without sounding like a total fool. They'd only been dating for two weeks, it's was quite irrational really.

He looked at her, seeing her watching him closely with an anxious expression and he sighed again. "It's just...we won't get see each other much." Sevina's face transformed into an expression of purest surprise and then she shook her head in disbelief. "That's what this is all about?" She stood up, then moved so that she was sitting on Jeff's lap, her legs resting either side of his. He had tilted his head back so that he was looking at the ceiling, so she threaded her fingers into his hair and forced him to look at her. "You listen to me, Jeffro; you have worked so hard for this. You should be bouncing off the walls with excitement. We'll still see each other whenever you're home. This is an amazing opportunity for you and you're sitting here moping! Jeff, you have worked too hard and too long to not enjoy this moment."

Jeff looked at her and he wanted to feel comforted by her words, but there was more and he knew he had to tell her. "Vina...we have to close Omega." The words hit her with the force of a freight train and she felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. Close Omega? It made sense, of course. Matt and Jeff wouldn't be around so they wouldn't be able to continue running the promotion, but that didn't make it any easier to digest. She tried to keep her face composed as her mind worked through the implications of this announcement. Omega was the only thing she'd had going for her for a long time now. Without it, she wasn't sure what she was going to do with herself. She had spent every evening there for almost two years now. Somehow, she had to find something else to do with her time. Of course, she'd never planned on staying at Omega forever, she wanted to follow Matt and Jeff into the WWF one day, but she wasn't sure how to do that. Omega had been her platform, the spring board that would launch her into a real career. Now what?

She took a deep, slow breath, trying to calm her racing mind. There was no point getting upset over it, not in front of Jeff. She could feel him watching her face. She looked directly at him again and then pressed her lips lightly to his forehead. "It was always going to happen eventually, Jeff. You and Matt are too good to never have been noticed. Don't worry about that right now. Just enjoy this moment. Please. You've earned it." Jeff wasn't sure what to say. He had expected her to react very badly to the new, to demand that there had to be a way to keep Omega running. He hadn't expected such implicit selflessness from her, that she should want nothing but for him to enjoy and relish the feeling of finally having made it to where he wanted to be. He lifted his hands to her face, which, given her position, was sitting a little higher than his own and drew her down so that he could kiss her until she was breathless.

"Um...sorry to interrupt, but we gotta get going." Matt had appeared at the locker room door and was determinedly averting his gaze from them both, clearly uncomfortable with the scene he had walked in on. Sevina grinned and clambered off Jeff so she could shove her feet into her sneakers. She then ran at Matt and jumped on him, he caught her on reflex as she hugged him tightly. "Congratulations, Big Brother!" Once he realised what she was talking about, Matt grinned at her and spun her around, letting a wave of excitement rush through him as he remembered the contracts that were waiting for her. "It's going to be amazing." Sevina nodded in total agreement and detached herself, then looked between the brothers. "Tonight; we party." They both laughed and then the three of them headed out to disassemble the ring and go home.


	19. You Owe Me New Shoes!

**A/N: HUGE thank yous to: MesshaBlack, as always your support is appreciated and I am grateful that you take the time to review for me, would be awesome to chat to you on FB or Myspace :). Anis C-Bear, thank you. For so many reasons, thank you. You're an awesome friend and a wonderful support (and of course, my number one fan :P). Sonib89, it's nice to have you back, I've missed your reviews. I know that her reaction may seem a little out of character, but it's all part of a bigger plan. Stay tuned :). I Luv Hardy, you've been with me since I started here and there are no words to express my gratitude to you. Thank you, so much!**

**Just to remind everyone, I am playing with the real timeline a little to fit things in, but let's just call it artistic licence :P**

**And with that; on with the show!

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Sevina sat in front of her mirror, frowning. She was avoiding Matt and Jeff for the moment. They were downstairs, waiting for her. She needed a moment. She just needed to think. She didn't want either of them to see the almost terror in her eyes and the way that her hands were shaking slightly. To stop the shaking, she ran them through her short hair, gripping the length as if she might pull it out. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. It wouldn't help anyone for her to lose it now. There was nothing she could do about it, so there was no point getting worked up. Even as she told herself this, she felt waves of tension running through her. What was she supposed to do now? Everything in her life currently centred on Omega. When she wasn't training, she was doing shows, or thinking about training and doing shows.

There was another worry in her mind as well, though. Matt and Jeff would probably move out of Gil's house now. The upfront payment from their contracts would be enough to secure them both with houses of their own and as much as Sevina loved Gil, it wouldn't be right for her to stay here with them gone. She needed to find somewhere else, but how was she supposed to afford that? She didn't have a job, she had no savings. She certainly couldn't ask her dad for help, he only spoke to her when he absolutely had to. She was happy for the boys, she really, really was and she wanted to be able to show it, but right now all she could think about where the implications that this occurrence had for her and she felt utterly selfish for it. Still, at least she was freaking out where they couldn't see her. She didn't want them to worry or feel like they were doing something wrong by her. She felt nothing but gratitude for everything that this family had done for her.

She ran her hands down her face and sighed, staring at nothing for a moment. She could finish freaking out later. For now, she could hear people starting to arrive downstairs for the party to celebrate the boys finally getting their contracts. She changed quickly into a pair of black leather pants and a dark blue wool top with long sleeves, but that sat off her shoulders. She didn't bother putting any make-up on. It was only a house party. She shoved her feet into her boots and then left the bedroom. She jogged down the stairs and wandered into the kitchen. She was greeted by the sight of Jeff, holding Shannon in a headlock, demanding something and Matt throwing random bits of salad at the back of Greg's head. Sevina rolled her eyes and smiled. "Jeff, put him down. It's politically incorrect to strangle a midget. Matt, don't throw that, it's a waste of good salad! Greg, you've got a bunch of lettuce in your hood."

"What?!" Greg suddenly became preoccupied by the small mound of leafy vegetable that was in his hood, whilst Matt looked extremely pleased with himself for the sheer amount of it that he'd managed to get in there without him noticing. Jeff finally released Shannon and wandered over to Sevina. He stood behind her and put his arms around her waist. He was worried about her, expecting her to explode at any point. She was taking this far too well. "You alright?"

"I'm fine. Stop worrying." Sevina smiled at him over her shoulder and reached out to grab a handful of chips from the bowl in front of her. Jeff wasn't convinced, but he knew better than to argue. He dropped a light kiss on her exposed shoulder and spoke quietly in her ear, "You look nice." He then wandered off to talk to someone who had just arrived. Sevina didn't recognise the pretty, red-headed woman, which was unusual given the size of the town, but she didn't ponder over it for long as Greg sidled over to her with a beer in his hand. "Beer for the lady?" Sevina smiled at him and took it. "Thanks."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." He grinned at her and leaned against the side. Like everyone else, he had been expecting Sevina's reaction to Matt and Jeff getting their contracts to be very different to what it had been. They all knew that she focused her life almost entirely around Omega and of course, Matt and Jeff themselves. This event meant big changes for her. "So, it's crazy about Matt and Jeff, huh?" Sevina lowered the beer from her lips and nodded, not allowing her tension to show on her face. She smiled, her eyes drifting to where Matt and Jeff were stood at the back door, talking quietly amongst themselves. "It's amazing. They've both worked so hard for this."

"Yeah, that's true. Gonna be weird without Omega." Greg's tone was perfectly neutral, but Sevina knew that he was testing her reaction. She wasn't as close with Greg as she was with Shannon, but she felt a kind of sisterly affection for him. He was the quiet one of the group, but when he got into the ring, a whole other side of him came out and he exploded as a performer. "What will you do now?" Sevina tilted her head curiously, having not previously thought about what the changes would mean for the others who trained at Omega. Greg shrugged, grabbing a stuck of celery from the salad bowl and biting a chunk off the end. He chewed thoughtfully before speaking, "Probably move onto the Indy circuit. I've been offered a few places. I'm thinking SCW though." Sevina nodded slowly. She'd heard quite a bit about the Southern Championship Wrestling promotion, but it held no real interest for her. Sadly there wasn't much by way of a women's wrestling division in North Carolina. She had been the only female training at Omega, so there wasn't much hope for her anywhere else. Only a few Indy promotions took on females for anything more than eye candy and she had sworn to herself that that was something she would never be. She wanted to be taken seriously. She wanted to follow the footsteps of women like Chyna, real female wrestlers who could hold their own in the ring.

She had never thought of herself as attractive, she saw nothing interesting in her features, but she could wrestle and she knew it. She was dedicated and she was worth a shot. She _knew_ this. The hard part was convincing others of it. The guys she trained with had no doubt of her skills, but everyone quietly acknowledged that her refusal to wander around in nothing but a two piece bathing suit every night was going to stunt her career. It was one of the harsher aspects of the sports entertainment industry that it took something extraordinary for a woman to be taken seriously. "Hey, kid! Come here!" Matt's voice broke into Sevina's thoughts and she looked at him curiously before making her way to the back door where he was stood. "I want you to meet someone." He motioned to the woman with the dark red hair than Sevina had seen Jeff talking to earlier. "This is Amy. Amy, this is Sevina. Jeff's girlfriend."

Sevina looked at the woman, quickly appraising her. She looked nervous. She was definitely older than Sevina, very pretty and she was smiling politely. "Hi, nice to meet you." She had a strong voice. That was the only way Sevina could think to describe it. She returned the smile and nodded. "Yeah, you too." She didn't mean to sound a little curt with her words, she'd never been any good at meeting new people and she hoped that it didn't offend her, but she honestly had no idea what to say to her. Amy looked a little awkward and the silence that fell was anything but comfortable. Sevina looked at Matt, needing to do something to break it, "Where's Jeff?"

"He's starting the grill, getting into his caveman mentality. The usual." Sevina smiled, then nodded politely to Amy again and went off in search of Jeff. Sure enough, she found him stood by the grill, pouring gasoline over the coal. He had a look of slightly manic enjoyment on his face. "You're gonna blow yourself up one of these days, Jeffrey." Jeff turned to look at her and grinned, shaking his head. "No chance. I am Jeff, the un-blow-up-able!" Sevina let out a snort of laughter and shook her head, taking several steps back as Jeff lit one of the long outdoor matches. He threw it _at_ the grill and then jumped immediately over the low fence that surrounded the deck on the back of the house, landing face-first into the bushes below. The flames went much higher than even Sevina would have guessed and she felt the heat of it on her face. Eventually they died down and she heard Jeff's voice calling from the bushes. "I'm stuck! Argh! Damnit! Ow! Fucking twigs! Heeeeelp! It's trying to eat me!" Sevina couldn't move for laughing, though she knew she should really be trying to help him. His shouting and cursing drew the others around to the back of the house and they all joined in laughing at him as he cussed them all out. Eventually Shannon stepped forwards to help, but Jeff was well and truly jammed in there and all he succeeded in doing was ending up toppling in on top of his friend.

This set off a new wave of laughter from the assembled crowd. Finally, Jeff's voice came out on a frustrated growl, "If someone doesn't get this midget off me and get me outta these bushes, no-one eats!" The threat of no food seemed enough to encourage the Good Samaritan in the men at least. Matt, Greg and Joey all moved to detangle Shannon and then all four of them yanked Jeff out of his twiggy confines. He dusted himself off casually and then stuck his chin in the air and stalked back up onto the deck to start the food. Sevina was sitting on the deck at this point, leaning on the wall of the house and holding onto her ribs which we aching from laughter. Jeff aimed a kick at her shin as he passed, causing her to squeal in surprise and pain. She pulled her black ballet shoe from her foot and threw it at his head and he promptly chucked it onto the grill. Sevina jumped up, horrified. "No! Jeff! These are my favourite shoes!" Too late. The pretty little shoe caught fire and Jeff cackled like an old witch, then caught sight of the murderous expression on Sevina's face. "Ah, shit." He took a new dive into the bushes, but Sevina just jumped right in after him. She had pulled her other shoe off first and proceeded to beat him with it all over his body. "You. Owe. Me. A. New. Pair. Of. Shoes!"

"Aaahh!! Help me! Crazy lady with a shoe! Matt! Help!"

"Sorry, dude. You're on your own. Even I know that you never burn a woman's shoes." There was clear amusement in Matt's voice and Sevina let out her own cackle, knowing that no-one was going to come and save Jeff from her. Her momentary distraction allowed Jeff to grab her wrists and pull her down and kissing her hard on the mouth. The distraction worked and the shoe fell from her hand as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She heard wolf whistles and someone making gagging sounds in the background and pulled away, looking at Jeff, a little out of breath from beating him and from kissing him. "Cheater." Jeff just grinned innocently and they both picked themselves out of the bushes, managing not to get stuck.

Jeff went back to the grill and as more guests arrived, the party was in got into full swing. Sevina was able to slip away without being noticed. She walked slowly and carefully through the trees surrounding the house, minding her step as she didn't really want to fall over and break her neck. She travelled in the general direction that she knew Matt and Jeff's trampoline ring was and smiled as she came across it, but surprise took over when she saw the silhouette of another person, already sat in the middle of it. She tilted her head and walked over.


	20. Oblivion

**A/N: I know the last couple of chapters have been a bit crappy and rather fluffy but they were necessary to reach this point. I hope you continue to enjoy :) Thank you to; I Luv Hardy, Anis C-Bear and MesshaBlack (you'll enjoy this chapter :P). Much appreciate as always you guys. And of course, thank you to the people who faved and alerted.**

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"Shannon?" Sevina frowned as she recognised her friend and then clambered onto the trampoline. Shannon was sat with his knees up, his arms resting loosely around them so that his hands linked in front of them. He looked at Sevina as she sat down beside him. "Hey, looka'." He sounded downcast, sad almost, which was extremely out of character for him. Shannon was always up, always excited about something, ready for the next adventure. "What's wrong?" Shannon turned his face away from her as she spoke, just peering into the darkness of the trees around them. He let out a small sigh and moved one of his hands to run through his unruly hair. He didn't answer and Sevina moved closer, nudged him lightly. "Come on, tell me. What's wrong?"

"I just...I don't know where I go from here. I'm not wrestling for SCW anymore and with Omega gone...we always thought we'd go together, y'know? That when the time came, it'd be all three of us makin' it." He frowned as he spoke, clearly not liking the hint of bitterness that had entered his tone. Sevina leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder, letting her breath out in a sigh. She could understand it. Matt, Jeff and Shannon were like brothers. They were part of a unit, a team and now Matt and Jeff were heading for the heights and Shannon was being left behind. "You'll make it, Shan. There's nothing you can't do." Shannon tilted his head to look at her; it was a little awkward since her head was on his shoulder. He smiled a little. "You really believe that?" Sevina nodded and sat up, looking at him with a completely serious expression. "I believe in _you, _Shannon. Since I came here, you have helped me so much and watching you, seeing how much stick you take from the guys and knowing that no matter what anyone says, you will still go out there and wrestle your heart out, because that's what you love, is inspiring. You work every bit as hard as Matt and Jeff and you _will_ make it. I know it."

Shannon just looked at her for a few moments, then put an arm around her shoulders and drew her in close, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "Thanks, Looka'. I needed that." Sevina smiled, resting her head back on his shoulder. She'd never known Shannon to have a single moment of self doubt and she was certain that this was just a momentary blip in his radar. She knew he was happy for Matt and Jeff, but he was sort of in the same position she was. With Omega closing, it removed the rug from under their feet, so to speak, rocking their stable foundations and they had to scatter and rearrange in order to survive. None of them would voice their concerns in front of Matt or Jeff, though. This was a wonderful moment for them and they deserved to enjoy it as much as possible, no-one wanted to be responsible for ruining it for them. "Come on, Jeff'll get upset if you're not there to convince everyone the food's cooked." Sevina nudged Shannon playfully and then clambered off the trampoline. She waited for him to follow her and they made their way back up to the house.

Sure enough, Jeff was trying to convince the congregated people that he had cooked the food properly and Shannon promptly appeared to try it and confirm that food poisoning was not imminent. Sevina sat on the back step, watching the people milling around in the yard. Most of them she knew, if not well. She rarely spoke to anyone outside of the small group she had become close with and she still felt extremely uncomfortable in social situations. She was happy to just watch. She noticed Matt talking to Amy, completely fixated on her. She couldn't help but smile, Matt spent so much of his time wrestling, it took up all of his life, and it was good to see him having fun for a change. She looked up as Jeff sat down next to her. He offered her a burger, but she shook her head, "No, thanks. I'm not all that hungry." Jeff shrugged and bit into the burger himself, looking around. He let out a contented sigh. "I love this weird old town." Sevina smiled at him, "You're the weirdest thing _in_ this town, Jeff.

"True. Although, you're a pretty close second." Sevina stuck her tongue out at him and at that moment Matt called him and he stood up again to wander off, leaving Sevina alone with her thoughts once more. Well, she needed to get used to it. Matt and Jeff were going to be travelling a lot from now on, which would leave her by herself a great deal. No doubt the others from Omega would scatter around, heading for new promotions or pursuing other ventures altogether. She bit her lip and leaned her head against the doorframe, casting her eyes down. She felt like a lead weight was sitting on her chest and the monster in her head was growling quietly, begging to make a return. In the end, it always came down the same basic fundamental; when all was said and done, Sevina was left standing there alone. She didn't resent Matt or Jeff for their success, not at all, but the selfish part of her wanted to scream and shout and demand that they stay. She didn't know what she was going to do without them. They were the only thing standing between her and the future she had been so determined to avoid.

She could feel the reaction building inside of her, the panic starting to take hold and the instinct to run, the need to protect herself from the inevitable pain. She stood up abruptly, knowing that if she stayed where she was, she was going to end up making a fool of herself. Confident that no-one was looking her way, she quietly slipped back into the house and up to her-...Jeff's room. She changed into a pair of sweats and a hoodie, then shoved her feet into her sneakers and quietly left the house, grabbing her keys along the way. She jumped into her car and sped off down the drive. She had no destination in mind, but she needed to get out of that house. She needed to breathe. She needed... something.

Her drive took her past her father's house and she slammed on the brakes, her heart almost jumping into her mouth at the sight that greeted her. She felt herself choking on air. At the end of the driveway, perfectly conspicuous was a large For Sale sign. How in the hell had no-one told her about this?! It was impossible that no-one had known. Cameron was tiny and everyone knew everyone else's business, it would not have escaped either Matt or Jeff's attention that Victor was selling the house. Her family were moving and no-one had bothered to tell her! Just like that, it was there again, the roaring in her head. The monster was awake and baying for blood, demanding that someone pay for this. It didn't matter who. Her family were running out on her and they hadn't had the decency to let her know. She had called, every day and spoken to her siblings and not once had any of them mentioned that they were moving. Why did everyone always leave?! Was there something so horribly wrong with her that no-one felt the inclination to stick around?

She stared at the sign with furious eyes, feeling her pulse jumping, blood running at hyper speed through her system and the air wouldn't get into her lungs quick enough. Her hands were curled tightly on the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white. Still she couldn't look away from the sign, as if it were some beast that would jump at her if she so much as blinked. She couldn't breathe. She just couldn't. She needed to move and she knew it. If she stared at that sign a moment longer, she was sure that her head would explode. She didn't remember hitting the gas or spinning the car around, causing it to protest loudly in a scream of the tyres and roar of the old engine. She was aware, on some level, that she was driving too fast and she half dared a police officer to stop her. She'd tear them into pieces if they did. She didn't know how she ended up outside Omega, she couldn't remember the drive, but her next point of awareness was fumbling with her keys to get the door of the gym open.

It felt like time were moving in a strobe, chunks of movement and thought disappearing only to reappear seconds later, but a few steps ahead of where it had been. Her chest felt like it was expanding, some deadly thing trying to escape from her. Blankness replaced her movements through the gym to the punch bag and she found herself hitting it for all she was worth. She could hear screaming and it was horrible, pure rage and despair, echoing off the walls of the empty building. It took a few moments for her to realise that she was the one making the noise. She heard a sickening pop and felt a blast of pain, but ignored it, continuing to attack the punch bag, seeing the faces on it of all the people she equally loved and hated in that moment. Matt, Jeff, her father, her siblings and finally her mother. The one who had started it all. The first one to leave. The first one to walk out and leave her behind as if she were nothing. What was the point? What was she even fighting for when it all came down to it? It always ended the same way.

She didn't hear the doors open, nor did she hear the voices of her friends as they came to make their final farewells to Omega. They saw her. They saw the rage pouring out of her. They saw the odd angle of her right ring finger where she had dislocated it and the blood dripping from her abused knuckles. They saw the tears streaming down her face and they heard the screams ripping out of her. Matt was the first to move as they others stood in blind shock. He crossed the expanse of the gym in seconds and his arms became restraints, pulling her back, away from the bag. She fought against him and he knew she wasn't even really aware of what she was doing or saying as she tried to escape from him and hurled insults in his direction. He held tightly to her, knowing that she had a kind of shut-off mechanism in her brain, when the pressure got too much, she always passed out.

Sevina knew someone was holding her, but she didn't know who it was, only that she hated them with everything she had. She wanted to hurt this person; she wanted to make them suffer as she was suffering. She wanted to cut them into shreds as everyone she had dared to love had done to her. By this point she had forgotten where she was, what she was doing and even why she was doing it, all she knew was the anger and the pain that was tearing through her body. The cause was irrelevant. It hurt so much that she didn't want to remember it. She just wanted it out of her. She wanted it to go away. She wanted...she wanted...darkness took her then and everything stopped, blissful oblivion took the place of everything else.


	21. For Us Both

**A/N: Sorry this has taken a while, been having some serious writer's block. I hope it was worth the wait.**

**Thank you to: _JenniferRayne, I Luv Hardy, Anis C-Bear_ and _MesshaBlack _for your reviews.**

**This chapter feels kind of forced to me and I don't know if it brings across the difficulty that the characters are feeling, but I did my best with it :)

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"Matt..." Matt jolted awake and squinted a little until his brother's face came into focus. He rubbed at his eyes and sat up a little straighter, trying to ease the aches in his muscles from sleeping in the armchair next to the couch for so long. He looked at Jeff, letting out a sigh. "Hey." Jeff nodded, his eyes going to sleeping girl on the couch. Her right hand was in a heavy brace, her ring finger attached to her middle finger with surgical tape and the whole thing wrapped in a soft, navy brace to prevent her from moving it too much. Her left hand was wrapped in bandages where she had split and bloodied her knuckles. She had come round briefly when they had taken her to the hospital to get her hand seen to, but had had to be sedated almost immediately because of her reaction to her surroundings. Despite this, they had allowed Matt to bring her home, convinced that she had no serious injuries and just needed to sleep the sedatives off.

She'd been asleep for eighteen hours and counting. Some part of Jeff wondered if she were subconsciously forcing herself to stay asleep so that she didn't have to face whatever was torturing her. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair before looking at Matt again. "I just got a call from Shannon; apparently Claire, the girl who works in the grocery store, saw her driving away from her dad's house like a maniac."

"So she knows then."

"I knew we should have told her."

"It wasn't our place, Jeff."

"Bullshit. She's as much a part of this family as you and I and we don't keep secrets."

"Whatever goes on with Sevina and her father is nothing to do with us."

"You're wrong. We should have told her." The brothers fell silent, both looking at Sevina where she lay. Looking at her face now, relaxed in sleep, it was difficult to correlate it with the rage-filled creature they had seen in the gym. She had come so far, managed to turn it around and beat down the instinct that made her hit out, but now, as Jeff watched her sleeping face, he wondered if he had done more harm than good when he'd agreed to train her. He had gotten so involved with her that she never wanted to do anything to upset him and it was the same with Matt. They had stopped being someone she could come to when she was hurting and become another line of people she didn't want to bring down with her problems. In trying to protect them from what she was feeling, she had let it build up inside of her and then, seeing what her father had done, it set the bomb off.

"Go to bed, Matt. I'll keep an eye on her." Jeff spoke in a very quiet tone. Matt had sat up watching over Sevina all night and through the day and it seemed a lifetime since the party, rather than a mere day. Matt seemed reluctant to leave, but he couldn't deny the exhaustion that was running through his body, so he nodded and stood up, resting his hand on Jeff's shoulder briefly before moving past him and out of the door. Jeff sat down in the vacated armchair and just watched Sevina, though she wasn't moving. On some level he knew that it wasn't just the realisation of her father selling the house that had set her off. He'd known she was taking the news too well about Omega closing. He saw his mistake. He had encouraged her too much to get more and more involved in Omega, he had allowed her to centre her life around it when he should have tried to make her pursue the world outside of it a little more. He had always intended to get into the WWF one day and both he and Matt had known that they would have to close Omega when that happened. He had known when he met her, that eventually he would be leaving and still he'd let her get attached.

When he was around Sevina, he felt a kind of freedom, like all the things that had seemed difficult or impossible, were suddenly within his grasp. There was something about this girl that called out to him. He wouldn't say that he loved her, not yet at least, but there was definitely something there that made him need her, need to keep her in his life and it was that need that had led them here. As misplaced as this guilt and self-blame was, Jeff couldn't shake it out of his mind.

"Jeff?" Sevina's voice penetrated the silence, sounding hoarse and uncomfortable. Jeff had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't even realised she was stirring. He instantly moved to kneel beside the couch, leaning over her slightly and smoothing the hair back from her face with gentle fingers. "I'm here." She had not opened her eyes, but turned her face towards his hand slightly. Her mind kept replaying flashes of what had happened, but they were confusing. It was all a bit of a blur and nothing made sense, but then she remembered the key point; the For Sale sign up in front of her father's house and her eyes snapped open. They instantly found Jeff's and he saw the almost betrayal there. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to, but Matt felt it was best to wait until your dad told you himself."

Sevina said nothing, frowning at him for a long time, before slowly pushing herself into a sitting position, gasping as pain shot through her right hand. Only then did she notice the brace wrapped around it and flashes of the hospital entered her mind, making her shudder slightly. She hated hospitals. She stared at the brace, turning her hand over several times as she examined it, before looking at Jeff again. She just looked at him and he looked back, then he silently moved to sit beside her on the couch, noting how she flinched a little from him coming so close. He sighed and put his arms around her, drawing her into his chest and resting his chin on top of her hair. "Sevina, I'm sorry."

Still she said nothing. She frowned into his shirt, her fingers curling into the fabric and clinging to it as if by doing so she could keep him here, but she knew differently. She knew what was going to happen. He'd leave and they'd grow apart. He'd only be home maybe two days out of seven and that kind of gap was something they were both too young to be able to bridge. She knew this, but she still held tightly to him, keeping her face downcast so that he wouldn't see her expression. It didn't matter that he and Matt had kept the sale of the house from her. It didn't matter that her family were gone. Some part of her hand always known they'd leave in the end. All that mattered was that Matt and Jeff were her anchors, they kept her here, attached to solid ground and now...they were leaving.

She squeezed her eyes shut until they hurt, refusing to cry. She hated crying. Not because of any shame it brought, but because it never changed anything. It never helped. In his arms, Jeff felt her body tensing and releasing as she tried to fight off her reaction. He sighed and trailed his fingers lightly up and down her back, lost for what to do. He wanted to comfort her; he wanted to promise that everything would be alright. But, would it? They hadn't been dating for that long and whilst he adored her, he knew that trying to maintain a relationship whilst travelling would be near impossible. Maybe he should call it off now and save them both the heartache later. Even as he thought it, he rejected it. Something in him needed her. Needed to keep hold of her.

"Sevina, I know. I know this is all a lot to take in and I know it hurts, but I'm always going to be here for you. I'm always going to be around."

Sevina slowly lifted her head and looked at him. Her navy eyes were shining brightly out of her face, glittering with the whisper of unshed tears and Jeff knew she didn't believe him. She was so used to people running out on her, giving up on her, "I'm here, Vina. I'll always be here. If you ask me to stay, I will."

Shock coloured Sevina's expression and weakened her resolve so that a solitary tear escaped and trailed down her face. She moved with a swiftness that surprised Jeff, her injured hands clasping his face tightly and she looked at him with a blazing expression, talking through gritted teeth, her voice breaking at regular intervals. "No. Listen to me. That's not what I want. God...I just...Jeff you have worked so hard. You've put so much into this. I'm not...I won't be the reason you give it up. You _have _to do this. I need you to do this. You have so much that you have to give, so much that you have to do. You and Matt saved me. You pulled me back. This is meant to be the best moment of your life. Don't you dare even consider giving it up. Don't put that on my shoulders. Don't make me live with ruining this for you."

Jeff stared at her, then one of his hands moved to the back of her head, pulling her forwards, his mouth meeting hers in an almost desperate kiss. He could taste her tears, which were flowing in earnest now and he felt his heart contract painfully. She clung to him as if he might disappear at any moment, as if this were the last moment of her life and she might never get to touch him again. Jeff couldn't name it, but it felt like something clicked into place in his head in that instant and he held onto her like he would never let her go.

When they finally broke apart, they were both breathing a little harder than normal. Sevina rested her forehead against his and sighed softly, her warm breath hitting his lips as she whispered, "You have to do this for us both."

Jeff said nothing, just closed his eyes, his arms moving around her waist, pulling her into his lap and holding her against his chest. This was not going to be the end of them. They had something. He didn't know what it was, but it was something necessary, something he wasn't willing to give up on. They could figure this out. This didn't have to be the end of anything. Getting these contracts was supposed to be the ultimate high, the peak of what he and Matt had worked so hard to achieve and Sevina was right, it was meant to be the best moment of his life. He knew she'd never forgive herself if he let it be marred by these bad memories. Memories of moments that would probably be etched in his mind forever. Memories of a structure that had been so carefully reconstructed, only to be torn back down.

Neither moved for a long time and when they finally did it was only to lie down. Jeff lay with his back against the back of the couch, whilst Sevina's back rested against his chest and he wrapped her in his arms, wishing he could keep her there forever, keep her safe. They didn't sleep; they just lay there, watching the sun come up through the window, knowing that tomorrow was going to be a very difficult day. Matt and Jeff were leaving for Stamford, CT to sign their contracts. They'd be gone for a week as they went through all the standard procedures, figuring out the finer details of their official debut. They already knew that they were going to be introduced as a tag team once their training with Dory was over. The training itself was going to be intense and the schedule would be pretty unforgiving. It would mean that they were separated for long stretches of time, but Jeff knew that Sevina understood. She may not like it, but she understood.

This was their dream. All three of them. Wrestling, making it into the WWF, was the heights that they had all hoped to reach. Of course, Jeff and Matt had always thought Shannon would be with them at this point and neither had expected to have met Sevina or to have become so attached to her. Jeff wasn't the only one struggling with this. Matt didn't want to leave her, he worried about her almost constantly and liked to be able to keep an eye on her and know that she was alright. Her relationship with Matt was extremely close. They talked about everything; there were no subjects that were out of bounds. They could spend days in each other's company and not get sick of each other. Somehow, this crazy, angry teenager had come into their lives and completely tipped the balance. Something about her had wrapped itself around their hearts and made them want to protect her, help her, do anything that she needed them to do to keep her happy.

The sound of movement upstairs disturbed them both and they cast their eyes towards the ceiling. Jeff looked towards the clock and sighed, leaning his lips close to Sevina's ear, "It's almost time to go."

Sevina's eyes tightened and she twisted in Jeff's arms so that she was facing him. Her expression told him that she was trying to sound braver than she felt. She reached to brush the hair from his eyes. "I'll be here when you come back."

For some reason, her words wrenched at Jeff's heart and he felt the irrational desire to never move, never let her go, never leave. He knew he had to, he knew that staying wasn't an option, but he hated this. He hated how much it was hurting her. He kissed her with the same desperation that had been present the previous night, as if he might die if he stopped. He heard her gasp against his mouth, her slender fingers digging into his jaw slightly. His own hands were wrapped around her waist, his fingers pressing into her back a little too tightly, but she didn't complain.

A knock on the door caused them both to jolt slightly and whilst he was distracted, Sevina detached herself from his grasp and stood up. She swiped quickly at her eyes and opened the door to the family room, smiling a little at Matt. "Hey."

"Hey. You okay?" Matt's face was a picture of concern. Sevina nodded and then allowed him to draw her into something that resembled a bear hug. "You know I'm only ever a phone call away, right? I'll come running back if you need me." Sevina smiled, resting her head on his chest, letting herself be comforted by his familiarity. She spoke quietly, but knew that he'd hear it, "Thank you, Big Brother." Matt smiled and then looked past her to Jeff, who was slowly lifting himself from the couch. He nodded to him, not releasing his hold on Sevina. "Alright, man?"

Jeff nodded and stretched, rubbing his hair distractedly. Matt knew that the whole situation was screwing with Jeff's head. Part of him was ecstatic at finally getting this opportunity, whilst the other part of him was devastated, knowing how hard this was on Sevina. "Well, we gotta be at the airport in an hour. You ready?"

Jeff nodded again and walked over. Sevina moved from Matt's arms, into Jeff's, standing at his side, with her arms around his waist as he dropped his arm around her shoulders. "Definitely." Jeff smiled and felt Sevina squeeze him encouragingly, causing his smile to grow a little. She wanted him to be happy, so he would be. She believed in him and his ability to make it, so he'd do it for them both. He reached out and hit his knuckles against Matt's "Let's go get those stars."


	22. The House

**A/N: Thank you to; Sonib89, JenniferRayne, Anis C-Bear and I Luv Hardy, for your reviews. Appreciated as always :)

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It had been a month and a half since Matt and Jeff had started training with Dory and they were due to make their tag-team debut in just a few weeks. Sevina spoke to them every day; they'd only been home four times in the last six weeks and never for more than two days. She was still living at their dad's but was looking for an apartment in one of the larger, neighbouring towns. She filled her days with helping Gil with anything from fixing the trucks to mowing the lawn. She spent hours just wandering around. Occasionally she would go out with Shannon and Greg, but for the most part she kept to herself.

Right now, she was sat on her bed, she'd stopped thinking of it as Jeff's, flicking through the real estate section of the local paper. She sighed as her search brought up nothing new and ran her fingers through her hair, which was starting to grow out. She lifted her head as she head Gil's voice from downstairs, "Phone for ya, kid!"

Sevina looked at her watch, it wasn't anywhere near the time that Matt usually called her. She shrugged and grabbed the phone from beside the bed. "Hello?"

"Miss Ataera?"

"Speaking." Sevina frowned a little, tucking the receiver into the crook of her neck as she closed the paper. The caller was male and spoke in a curt, authoritative tone.

"My name is Michael James. I'm your father's lawyer."

"My father?"

"Victor Ataera."

"Yes, I know who my father is. Thank you. Why are you calling me?"

"You are aware that you father has just bought a property in the state of Washington?"

"I wasn't, but even so, what does that have to do with me?"

"Well, the house he purchased cost considerably less than the money he received from the sale of his house in...Cameron, North Carolina."

"Again; what does this have to do with me?" Sevina over pronounced each word, feeling herself getting irritated by this man, who it seemed, was only calling to remind her that her family had disappeared without telling her.

"Well, your father has requested that the additional funds be transferred to you with the condition that you use it to purchase your own property." Sevina almost dropped the phone in shock. She opened and closed her mouth for a few moments, but nothing came out. She must have heard wrong, surely. Her father was...giving her money for a house? Was this some kind of twisted joke? Had she slipped into the twilight zone or something?

"Um..." She couldn't form any coherent words and quickly shut her mouth again. The man on the other end of the phone seemed to sense her shock and began explaining what she didn't have equilibrium enough to ask. "The amount is a little under two hundred, thousand dollars."

"T...Two...Two hundred grand?" Sevina could feel herself choking on her own voice.

"Yes, Miss Ataera. Since the property that was sold was so large and came with so much land, it sold for just under one million dollars."

"Holy shit." She instantly covered her mouth and mumbled an apology for her language. She just couldn't believe it. This was insane. With that money she could buy a house big enough for four people, let alone just for herself. She felt a little dizzy from shock as it settled over her. Her father, who she hadn't spoken to in almost two months, the man who had moved away without a word to her, was sending her a huge amount of money so that she could buy her own house. He refused to talk to her, wanted nothing to do with her and yet, he was doing this. Surely this was the cue for the world to drop out of orbit and the sun to explode.

"Miss Ataera? Are you there?" She snapped back to reality as she realised she was still on the phone. She cleared her throat, trying to keep it together. "Um...yeah. I'm here. Sorry."

"Well, I'll need your account details so that I can make the transfer."

"Yeah, of course. Hold on a minute." She scrambled around amongst her things until she found a statement with her details on and carefully reeled off the relevant numbers, before politely thanking him and hanging up the phone. She sat silently for a moment, just taking it all in, before bolting off her bed and running down the stairs. "Gil! Gil! You're never gonna believe what's happened!"

* * *

"Matt!" Sevina ran through the crowd of people waiting around, weaving lightly through them to throw herself into the waiting arms of the man she considered to be her best friend. Matt hugged her tightly and spun her around. It had been three days since she'd received the phone call from the father's lawyer and Matt and Jeff were home for almost a full week before getting ready for their debut. She laughed as Matt finally set her on her feet. "I missed you!"

Matt grinned and draped an arm over her shoulders, "Missed you too, Kid. Jeff's just getting his bags. I told him we'd meet him by the car." Sevina nodded and dragged her eyes from the incoming passengers where she'd been looking for her absent boyfriend. She then let Matt lead her away. It was April now, so it was starting to warm up and the sun was shining brightly over Raleigh. Matt stopped dead when they reached Sevina's ford and stared at it, "Is this the same car?" He tilted his head as he examined the new, black paint job, which seemed to flash purple under the sunlight. Sevina nodded, grinning, "Well, I had to keep myself amused somehow whilst you were away."

"So you painted your car?"

"Not just painted it. Gave it a new exhaust, new brakes, induction kit, replaced the old rear suspension, new low profile tyres. Oh yeah, new engine too." She smirked at his awe-struck expression. Her words caused Matt to stare at her now. He had never tagged her as someone who held any interest in cars. It seemed no matter how well he knew her, she always knew how to surprise him. He felt guilty at times, having left her behind with nothing to put her focus into now that Omega had folded, but she seemed to have done the complete opposite to what he expected. She'd picked herself up and got on with it, not seeming to let it drag her under. Of course, he only saw what she was like when he was here and neither she nor Gil would let on to the fact that she woke up screaming almost every night, that she barely slept and spent hours just staring into nothing, a kind of heavy depression sitting about her every move.

She let out a small scream as strong arms grabbed her from behind, over balancing her and almost causing her to fall, which she most certainly would have done if Jeff hadn't been holding onto her. "Jeff! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" There was no weight behind the admonishment as she turned in his arms in time to meet his mouth in an earth shattering kiss. Kissing Jeff was like a paradox; it took her breath away and yet it seemed to give her the oxygen she hadn't known she needed. An exaggerated gagging noise, caused them to break apart and Sevina peered over at Matt, who was looking at her innocently, "Can we save the PDAs until we get home?"

Jeff snickered, then looked at her car and raised his eyebrows, "New car?"

"Nope." Sevina grinned at him and then explained all the modifications she had made, leaving Jeff looking confused, but impressed. He had no idea what half of what she said meant, but he didn't ask. They all clambered into the car and Sevina didn't even bother putting the stereo on. They had so much to talk about that there wasn't even a moment of silence. They had pre-arranged that they would all go and look at some houses today once the boys had settled in at home and caught up with Gil.

Back at the house, Sevina watched them both raptly, as if they might disappear at any moment. They chatted happily to Gil, explaining all about their training and the work they'd been doing with the creative department ahead of their debut. It was only when the real estate agent called to let them know they should come and collect the keys for the houses they were viewing, that they tore themselves away. Gil opted to stay behind, feeling it was best to let the three of them spend some time together and so they headed off.

Sevina didn't like most of the houses that they looked at, five in total. They were all too big or too garish. She had her heart set on something simpler. As they pulled up to the last house, Jeff let out a low whistle and Matt sat forward from his position in the back seat to peer through the windshield. Sevina said nothing as she pulled up the long driveway, which was surrounded by trees. She shut off the ignition and stared at the house. It was old. Older than most of the other houses, the front door was over-shadowed by large, black pillars, leading down into a set of steps. The front bedroom had a large balcony. The brick work was a deep red, the colour faded slightly with age. Sevina looked at the information on the sheet she was holding. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, family room, dining room, kitchen, large rear deck, an acre of land.

Slowly, they all got out of the car and went inside. Sevina was in love and it was clear. She walked around the empty rooms, staring at everything, her pace slow. She could imagine living here. The windows were huge, letting light stream into the rooms. The family had an open fireplace and she could imagine the flames leaping to life in the winter, drawing the room in and warming it. Three bedrooms were much more than she needed, but the house was just enchanting. There was something about it. It had so much history, so much character. She knew almost the instant she saw it, that this was her house. This was where she wanted to live. It was well under her budget, very moderately priced for what it was, so she could buy it outright and still have money to spare to get furniture to fill it with.

"I want this one." She walked back into the family room and looked at Matt and Jeff who were both stood by the large patio doors which led out onto the decking at the back of the house. They looked at her, grinning to each other. "We thought you would." Jeff walked over to her and put an arm over her shoulder's kissing her forehead. "It suits you." Sevina rolled her eyes at him, but smiled. She couldn't quite get her head around the fact that she was going to have her own house. She let her eyes travel over the room, imagining a life into it.

"Come on. Let's go call the estate agent." Matt led the way out, with Sevina and Jeff trailing happily after him.

The next few days weren't so happy for Sevina, Jeff was never around. She knew he had a lot of catching up to do with his friends, but his friends were usually at the house, hanging out with Matt since they shared the same social circle. He'd come home late, clearly tired and fall straight asleep on the couch, barely saying a word to Sevina. She tried not to let it get to her, she tried to ignore it. He had to be a little out of whack; given everything that he had going on and it was selfish of her to want to take up all his time, but it wasn't like that was even what she wanted. A passing glance, a word here and there, that was all she wanted and he couldn't even give her that. The process had been started for her to buy the house and it had been taken off the market, but he hadn't even asked. He didn't seem to care. He barely looked at her.

She was sat at the back door, frowning out into the yard, utterly oblivious to Matt and Shannon who were messing about the deck only a few feet from her. She ran her fingers slowly through her hair, dropping her hand down to cup around the back of her neck, rubbing slowly at the aching muscles. She stared sightlessly at nothing, feeling the heaviness of uncertainty sitting on her shoulders. Was it possible that Jeff had met someone else? When would he have even found the time? And why wouldn't he just tell her?

She sighed heavily, rubbing her fingertips over her forehead and closing her eyes for a moment, feeling the start of a headache building behind her eyes. She stood up abruptly, turning back into the house. She caught her breath sharply as she came face-to-face with Jeff. He looked at her, no expression on his face and she felt a kind of anger building up inside of her chest. He opened his mouth to say something, but she stalked past him before he had a chance, bumping into him slightly as she headed for the front door. He cursed under his breath and turned to follow her. "Vina, wait."

"Leave me alone, Jeff."

"Please, just wait." He grabbed her arm as she made to move down the steps at the front of the house and she spun to face him angrily. "Why? You haven't said a word to me since you got back. All you've done is ignore me, so why shouldn't I do the same?"

"I'm not ignoring you!"

"Oh, really? So staying out late, not telling me where you're going, not talking to me, not even _looking _ at me...that's not ignoring me, right?"

"I've just had something I needed to take care of."

"Yeah? Well, fine. You hardly here anyway, so I guess I shouldn't really notice." She wrenched her arm free of his grip and jogged down the steps towards her car. She began opening the driver's door, but Jeff's hand pressed against it, slamming it shut again, "Sevina, you're over-reacting." Sevina shook her head, planting her hands on his chest and shoving him away. Over-reacting? Her boyfriend comes home and spends absolutely no time with her and she was over-reacting? Seriously? She wanted to hit him, she wanted to scream and stamp her feet and demand that he tell her where he'd been, but she wouldn't do that. She wouldn't be that girl. If he had something more important than her to focus on, then that was fine. That was his decision and it wasn't her place to tell him what he could and couldn't spend his time on, but she was damn sure allowed to be mad about it.

"Leave me alone." She repeated, turning back to the car, but Jeff grabbed her by the waist, spinning her to face him and pressing her back into the side of the car, pinning her in place. "Listen to me. I'm not ignoring you." When she tried to push him away, he just pressed her harder into the car, his hands moving to grasp hr face tightly. "Sevina. I could never ignore you." He kissed her then, stilling her protests as she lost herself in the addictiveness of his mouth. When he finally pulled away, she was a little breathless. Jeff rested his forehead against hers and sighed, "I have to show you something..."


	23. I'll Always Come Back

**A/N: I apologise for the wait, personal problems. Anywho, I was making some Matt and Jeff tribute videos and my movie maker died, so I decided to upload the Work In Progress versions on YouTube. My Channel is: TheAnimay so if you're interested, please take a look. Although, as I said, they are rough versions and I don't know when I'll have time to complete them.**

**So, thank you to: I Luv Hardy, Sonib89, JenniferRayne, MesshaBlack(hope you're feeling better) and Ani's C-bear! You are all awesome and I am as always grateful for your reviews! :D This chapter is a turning point, the way that it's written may change a little after this. What you must understand, this fic is spanning an enormous amount of time if it's gonna meet up with A Hardy Tale, so I need to up the pace a bit now otherwise it's just going to turn into a bit of a soap opera! Anywho, enjoy!**

**On with the show!

* * *

**

"Jeff, come on! This is stupid."

"No, it's not. My ideas are never stupid." Sevina let out an exasperated sigh at the hurt tone in her boyfriend's voice. She couldn't see him, since he had decided to blind fold her. She still wasn't sure she liked him right now, given that he had barely talked to her in the four days he'd been home, but he had been so insistent. She had allowed him to bundle her into his truck, still blind folded and now she had absolutely no idea where she was. She gripped his hand tightly as he led her over what she assumed to be a gravel drive way. "Jeff, where are we?"

"You'll see. Stop being so impatient." Jeff sounded amused now and that irritated Sevina. They had been mid-fight when he decided to distract her and it wasn't fair. She wanted to be mad at him for a while. It made things easier. She didn't miss him when she was mad at him, "Ow!" Sevina's foot hit a hole in the drive and she twisted her ankle slightly. She stopped, to reach down and grip the painful appendage. Jeff placed his hands lightly on her shoulders, his face very close to hers. "You okay?"

"I think I'll survive." As she finished speaking, Jeff caught her mouth in a brief, loaded kiss that left her gasping, "I'm never going to make it if you keep doing that." Though she couldn't see him, Sevina could feel his grin. He helped her up and paid more attention to where he was leading her. Sevina could swear that there were waves of anticipation rolling off him. Whatever he wanted to show her clearly had him either anxious or excited...perhaps both. Her mind came to a very uncomfortable conclusion; she and Jeff had been dating for a few months now, but there was one step that had not yet taken. Was that what this was? Had he made some elaborate set-up to try and take that step? Like their first date, but so much more than that...the thought made Sevina feel extremely anxious. She wasn't ready for that yet. Not just with Jeff, but with anyone. If that was what he had planned, it would surely ruin their relationship when she refused. And she would refuse. She would not do something she wasn't ready for, regardless of how wonderful he had always been to her. She was in absolutely no hurry to make that particular jump. She'd always known that when she was ready, she'd be absolutely certain of it and right now, she was absolutely certain that she wasn't ready.

She stopped walking abruptly and Jeff half jerked on her arm before he realise she wasn't moving. He turned and looked at her, frowning as he saw her biting her bottom lip anxiously, "What's wrong?"

"It's just..."

"Sevina, what is it?"

"Jeff, I really like you and we're doing great, you and me, but... I'm not...I don't..." She tripped over her words, more worried about upsetting him than actually turning him down. Jeff grabbed completely the wrong end of the stick and thought she had chosen this moment to break up with him, "Vina, are you...ending it?"

"What?! No, I'm just not ready to sleep with you!" Sevina blurted out, shocked by his assumption. Jeff laughed, really laughed and then pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly, "I'm not asking you too, Kid. I'd never try and push that from you. Come on, what do you take me for?" Sevina felt herself fill with relief and she sagged against him slightly, then pushed away and looked in his general direction, still unable to see. "Alright, well, I guess we should keep moving then."

Jeff laughed again and took her hand. They were only walking for about half a minute more and the hard gravel gave way to something softer. Grass? Sevina was still utterly blind, but her other senses were heightened and for some reason, she got the impression that she was standing in front of a something very large, like a building. She tilted her head slightly in the Jeff's direction, the set of her mouth telling him that she was curious. "Alright, we're here." He suddenly moved, releasing her hand, but she felt him behind her moments later. His chest was pressing lightly against her back and for the moment his hands rested on her hips. "Ready?" Sevina nodded, shifting impatiently. His hands moved up to the back of her head and he undid the blindfold in a deliberately slow manner. He held it in place for a few more moments than necessary, actually a little worried that she wasn't going to like what he was about to show her. When he finally did remove the blindfold, he heard her sharp intake of breath and then silence.

Sevina's eyes flew wide as they tried to take in every detail of what she was seeing. She tried to speak, but nothing came out, her voice just stuck in her throat. "Well?" Jeff's voice sounded close to her ear and snapped her back into reality, though she continued to stare at the sight before her. "Jeff, it's...it's incredible." She was looking at the side of a house, _her_ house, the one she'd just bought and the entire side wall was completely obscured by paint. Blues and purples swirled in all directions, offset by lines of black, forming abstract faces and patterns. Words jumped out of the intricate design; Dream, Believe, Immune to Fear, No Regrets, Unleash Your Imag-I-Nation, Ride The Wave. There was so much of it, the eye picking up more and more each time it looked. It flowed beautifully, almost alive in the brightness and intensity of the colours. Sevina had never seen anything like it and there were no words strong enough to describe it.

Jeff watched her anxiously. He still couldn't tell if she liked it or not. He'd spent the last three days working on it. He was aching and exhausted, but if she liked it, it'd be worth it. He wanted to leave her with something that would always remind her of him and Matt, a way that she could always know how much she meant to them. The words were meant to inspire her when she doubted herself, to make her remember that there was nothing she couldn't do when she set her mind to it. He looked at her and could see that she was still trying to take it all in, as if she were trying to burn it into her memory. "Say something." He nudged her lightly, his hands moving to rest on her hips again. She remained silent for even longer, then suddenly turned to face him, clasping his face in her hands and drawing him down for a kiss that would be forever imprinted on his memory. She'd never kissed him like that, with complete, raw emotion, pressing herself right up against him as if trying to permanently glue herself there.

Jeff responded completely, but eventually had to break away, needing to stop them both before it got out of hand. He looked at her, breathless and saw that she was shocked by the force of her own reaction. "So you like it?" He smiled and saw her mouth curl in response. She nodded, opening her mouth to speak, but seeming unable to do so and snapping it shut again. She glanced over her shoulder at the house again, her eyes raking the painted structure, before flicking back to him, "I can't believe you did this."

"I wanted to do something that would make this house completely and uniquely yours. I know it's hard on you, not having us here and with everything that's been happening. I just want you to know that no matter where in the world we are, there's a part of us still here with you." Sevina didn't know what to say. She felt tears spilling down her face, but did nothing to stop them. Her emotions were mixed. She was shocked and amazed in the best way possible, but his voice brought back the knowledge that they were going to be leaving again in two days and it would be at least three weeks until she saw them again. In an effort to hide the emotions that she knew must be playing across her face, she hugged him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder. She remembered him telling her that if she asked him to stay, he would. It seemed a long time ago now, but part of her wished he would re-iterate that offer because she knew, without even a shadow of a doubt, that this time, she would ask him to stay. She would ask them both to stay.

This house was amazing, but it was huge and she had to somehow get used to living here alone. The painting was breath taking and she loved it, but she would scrub it out using nothing but a toothbrush if it would mean she got to keep Matt and Jeff here. She knew how selfish that was; she knew that she should be feeling happy at the moment. Jeff had done this amazing thing for her and here she was, thinking only of the bad things. She owed him better than that. She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to stave off the aching in her heart that occurred every time she contemplated her future and then pulled out of the hug, wiping at her eyes and smiling, "Jeff, it's amazing. Thank you, so much."

Jeff looked at her, seeing something in her eyes that he didn't like, something that tugged at his heart and made him wish he could stay right here instead of having to leave her again. He reached out and used his thumb to brush away a tear that had escaped her notice. He pressed his lips lightly to her forehead, "I might not always be here, Vina, but I swear to you, I'll always come back." Sevina could only nod in response. Nothing she could say would do anything other than ruin this moment. She turned to look at the house again and drew in a slow breath. Her eyes were drawn to the words that he had painted, words meant to inspire her.

She'd been moping about her situation for far too long now. Maybe it was time to do something about it. Instead of sitting here, resigned to a dull future, she should try harder to add some colour, to change the ending. Every time Matt and Jeff came home, she found it harder and harder to let them go and whilst this was mainly rooted in missing them, there was also jealousy. She wanted what they had, but childish expectance had her sulking because it wasn't just falling into place for her. Matt and Jeff had worked for years to get where they were and if she wanted to make something of herself, she would have to do the same.

Standing there, with the sun fading behind her, Jeff's arms around her waist and her eyes fixed on the beautiful painting on the side of her house, she made herself a silent vow; she was going to make it. No matter what it took, or how hard she had to work, one day she would be standing in that ring, with Matt and Jeff on either side of her. She owed it to herself, more than anyone else. She had spent so long trying to be someone and something she wasn't, now there was nothing holding her back, no ties to bind her and all she was doing was sitting around, complaining. Not anymore. Things had to change. So, there was no women's division in NC, she'd just have to go further afield and she they still didn't have what she needed, she'd damn well make it herself.

She turned her head to look at Jeff over her shoulder and smiled at him, "We should call the others and get them to bring the grill over here. I want everyone to see this." Jeff smiled at her and kissed the corner of her mouth lightly then rested the side of his head against hers as they both looked at the painting again.


	24. High Flyer

**A/N: So, this is where the story starts to get a little more complicated and possibly more difficult to follow, though I'm trying to make it as easy as possible. As far as timelines go, this would now be mid 1999. This now has a very definite direction of where it's going and how it's going to end up :)**

**Thanks to: Sonib89, JenniferRayne (I suppose it is a bit of a fairytale, my twisted version of one anyway :P), MesshaBlack and I Luv Hardy for reviewing the last chapter. As always it is greatly appreciated.**

**So, on with the show!**

**

* * *

**

"Okay, so you'll call me when you get there, yeah?"

"Cross my heart."

"Matt, you'll make sure he calls, right?"

"You got it."

"Hey! I can be trusted."

"I know, baby, but you forget." Sevina smiled bracingly and kissed Jeff lightly, before hugging Matt who was stood beside her. "Drive safe, okay?"

"Don't worry, kid. We'll be fine. See you next week." Matt smiled and kissed her forehead, before wandering off to climb behind the wheel of the truck. Jeff took Sevina's hands and watched as she sighed, biting her lip a little before lifting her eyes to his. She smiled wanly, "I'm gonna miss you."

"It's only a week."

"It's too long." Sevina whined at him and he laughed. He framed her face lightly with his hands and placed a feather light kiss on her lips, "I'll miss you too, Kid." He hugged her tightly for a moment, taking in her spicy scent, before pulling away, "I better go." Sevina childishly wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, pushing her face into his chest. "No." Jeff laughed and tried to disengage her hold. "Vina, come on. I gotta go. Matt's glaring at me."

"No."

"Vina-"

"No." Sevina shook her head stubbornly and Jeff laughed again, finally unlocking her hands. He held them gently for a moment, brushing his lips over her knuckles and hit her with his brightest smile. "I'll see you soon." He kissed her forehead briefly and then dodged past her to jump in the truck. Sevina stepped back and sent them both a half wave as the truck roared to life and they were soon speeding away down the drive. She walked up the steps to the house, then turned to watch them disappear, wrapping her arms around herself loosely.

"Hey, Kid! They gone?" Sevina turned to grin at Gil and nodded as he shuffled out of the house. He grinned back and then threw her car keys to her. "Well then, let's get going." Sevina giggled and hugged him swiftly, before jogging back down the steps. She had been plotting carefully since Jeff had shown her painting on her house, but she didn't want to let anyone but Gil, Shannon and Greg in on it. It all came down to today, once chance to turn things around and dig herself up out of the rut.

* * *

"Shan, hey!" Sevina waved to her friend as she entered the large gym, looking around with wide eyes. It had been a long drive to get here, but so worth it. This place made Omega seem tiny and the equipment was practically sparkling it was so new. Shannon looked up from where he was sat talking to someone Sevina didn't recognise. He grinned at her and jogged over. "Hey, Looka'. Hi, Legend."

Gil nodded in response to his nickname, smiling, before looking at Sevina again, "Listen, kiddo, I'm gonna run across the street and get us a room. Come find me when you're done and don't look so nervous. You're gonna be great. Look after her Shannon." Sevina smiled at him, very glad he had agreed to come along with her. She then turned her attention back to Shannon and took a deep breath. "Alright, let's do this." Shannon grinned at her and then led her away, not seeming to notice that she'd suddenly become a whole new kind of pale.

* * *

"What makes you think you're cut out for professional wrestling?"

"What makes you think I'm not? I work hard. I train every single day. I live this, I breathe it. You won't meet anyone who wants this as badly as me."

"I see punk kids come in here every day asking me for a job. Don't think just 'cause you got a couple of buddies on the roster than I'm just gonna take you on like that. The women's division around here is even more competitive than the men's. I don't think you've got what I need."

"You're wrong. If you turn me away, it will be the biggest mistake you ever make. Look at me. I'm young, I'm strong, and I'm one of a kind. I have what it takes and I won't stop trying until I get this. I have spent years trying to become the best I can be, fighting against the odds to be here and I'll be damned if I'm gonna sit here and take 'no' for an answer."

"You got guts, kid. I'll give you that much."

"All I'm asking for is a chance. I'll work as a jobber if that's what you need, just give me a shot. I won't let you down."

"Say I agree to give this a go; what are you gonna bring that some other girl won't? You've already refused some of the things that the other women do, so how are you going to make up for that."

Slowly, Sevina raised herself to her feet, planting her hands on the large desk in front of her and looking directly at the man before her. Her navy eyes fired out of her face, blazing with determination.

"Mr Russo, you put me in a match against any one of the people on your roster, male or female and I will show you how I'll make up for it."

The man seemed to contemplate this for a moment, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, before a grin began to spread across his face.

"Alright, since you're so confident. How about I make you a deal? You go against a wrestler of my choosing, you win and you get the contract. Lose and I never see you again."

"Deal."

* * *

"Helms! You're up, get in the ring." Greg looked up, frowning. He looked over at his new boss and then to Sevina who was stood close to him. He stood up slowly. "Who am I against?" He had a horrible feeling he knew, but that didn't stop him from shaking his head in disbelief when Sevina raised her hand, a smirk playing about her mouth, "Come on, Greg. Not like it'll be the first time I beat your ass."

"Hey, you never beat me. I let you win."

"Uh-huh, sure you did."

"That's enough you two. Helms, I don't want you going easy on her. If I think you're being a pussy, you're fired. Got it?"

"Yes, sir." Greg nodded curtly and then motioned for Sevina to precede him towards the practise ring. They stared one another down in the middle of the canvas, "So what you got riding on this, Vina?"

Sevina smirked as they locked up and she looked at him, her eyes narrowing just a touch, "My whole future." Without another word she swept his legs out from under him with one of hers. Sevina was fast, Greg had had no idea how quickly she could make up ground inside the ring. They had only ever sparred together before, never actually been pitted against each other in a proper match. He hit her with a German suplex only for her to pop right back up and land him with a clothesline that he was sure he'd be feeling for a week. Sevina's downfall was her size, she was small compared with Greg and so she couldn't hit many of the big moves and she certainly couldn't hold him for a submission. This caused her to take risks that she would normally have avoided. She took to the air; first with a moonsault, then flying head scissors, followed quickly by a leg drop from the top turnbuckle.

Greg had watched her wrestle at a thousand times and he had never seen her hit that many high impact, flying moves in such quick succession. Everyone at Omega knew she was freaked out by heights and that climbing the turnbuckle was a big deal for her, so to see her throwing out move after move without a moment of hesitation gave him an idea of just how much she wanted this and if his job had not been on the line he'd almost certainly have tried to swing thing in her favour. As it was, he saw his opening as she went for another moonsault and caught her mid-air, rolling her into a pin. He got the three-count and the match was over.

Greg looked at Sevina apologetically as she lay on the mat, frowning at the high ceiling. She'd lost. Just like that. It was all over. It took a few moments for her to recover hr senses and she felt sinking disappointment as she realised the implications of the situation. She sighed heavily and looked at Greg, who was holding out a hand to help her up. She nodded to him, "Thanks."

"Vina, that was awesome. I never even knew you could do that shit."

"Well, it's all worthless now."

"I wouldn't say that." Greg looked up sharply and frowned at his boss, but the other man's eyes were on Sevina, who looked confused. A smile broke out on his face and he held out a hand to her. "Welcome to WCW, Miss Ataera."

* * *

"Hello, Hardy residence?"

_Vina, hey, it's Matt. How you doing?"_

"Oh, hey Matt. I'm good. You guys there?"

"_Yeah, we just got to the hotel. Jeff's checking us in and I thought I'd give you a call and let you know we got here safe."_

"That's good. Thanks. Was the drive okay?"

"_It would have been better if Jeff didn't insist on singing along to every song on the radio."_ Sevina smiled as she heard Matt's laugh. She missed him already, she missed both of them. _"So, what have you been doing with yourself? Got into any trouble yet?"_

"Oh, ha ha. No...Just, the usual."

"_Any luck on the job thing?"_

"Um...yeah, I think I might have something lined up. I'll let you know."

"_That's great. Well, listen I gotta go. I'll get Jeff to call in as soon as we're settled okay, kid?"_

"Okay. Thanks for calling, Matt. Bye."

* * *

"Kid, are you ever gonna tell them?" Gil looked enquiringly at Sevina. It had been three weeks since she had signed her contract with WCW and she still hadn't gotten around to telling Matt or Jeff. She set down the box she had been carrying full of her stuff to be moved to the new house. She shrugged, running her fingers through her hair. "Yeah, eventually, for now I just wanna see how things go. I don't want to get them all riled up for nothing." In truth, she was a little nervous about telling them. WCW was at the height of its rivalry against the WWF, which meant she was in direct competition with the Hardys, who were making their tag-team debut that very night.

Gil looked at her knowingly. He knew the real reason behind her reluctance to tell them, but it wasn't his place to interfere. So instead he simply taped up the box she had brought down and smiled. "Come on; let's leave the rest of these until later. The show's gonna be starting soon." Sevina smiled at him, grateful that he wasn't pushing the matter. As he mentioned the show, she felt butterflies erupt in her stomach. She had been looking forward to seeing the brother's in action for weeks now. She couldn't believe that tonight was the night they were finally going to make all their dreams come true.


	25. I Can Explain

**A/N: Thanks to; MesshaBlack, JenniferRayne, Sonib89 and I Luv Hardy for reviewing the last chapter. I love you guys. Here's some more of my twisted fairytale for you, sorry it's kinda short!**

**On with the show!

* * *

**

"Yes! Yes! No! No, don't do that!" Sevina covered her face with her hands and then peeked through her fingers at the television. She'd just watched Matt take a really hard fall. She glanced sideways at Gil, who had a strained look on his face. He enjoyed watching the boys, but it was stressful for him to imagine all the ways in which they could be hurt, as any parent would. Sevina reached out and gripped his hand. They didn't look at one another, just stared at the television, wincing occasionally.

"Yes! Yes! One...two....thr-NO! Damnit!" Sevina threw her slipper at the t.v, much to Gil's amusement and shook her head. "That was the slowest three-count I have ever seen!" Gil chuckled and said nothing. It was nice for him to have someone enthusiastic around whilst watching wrestling. He could so clearly remember how hyped Matt and Jeff used to get when they were younger. When they had still had time to sit down and watch a match on the television. Having Sevina here brought back a lot of good memories; telling the boys to quieten down, having them beg him to let them stay up to watch the show when it was on late, nagging him until he agreed to by the pay-per-views. His boys lived wrestling and had done for as long as he could remember. Jeff had given up the chance of a sports scholarship to college to pursue his wrestling dream. That was just a small testament to what those had done and sacrificed to get where they were.

"Go on! Go on, Jeff! Yes! One...two...three! Yes! YES! YES!" Sevina jumped out of her seat and started dancing around the family room as the TV announced that the Hardy Boyz had won their debut match.

* * *

"That was awesome!"

"_Yeah? Glad you liked it."_

"Are you kidding?! You guys were great!"

"_Well we had a lot of fun. It's such a rush being out there together!"_

"How are you feeling? You didn't hurt yourselves, did you?"

"_Nah. I twisted my ankle a little, but nothing serious and Matt's fine."_

"Okay, good. You really had me worried! Best match I have ever seen, hands down!"

"_Hahaha, you're biased."_

"Am not."

"_Sure you're not. Hey, when you gonna tell us about _your _job?"_

"Oh, shoot, Jeff, your dad wants to talk to you. Give Matt a kiss from me! Bye!"

"_Vina! Hey! I am not kissing Matt!"_

_

* * *

  
_

"Introducing, in her WCW debut, from Cameron, North Carolina; The Princess!" Sevina mentally winced over the in-ring name that Shannon had so thoughtfully picked out for her. She shook it off though as she ran through the curtain, having to pause for a moment at the top of the ramp to take in the sight. So many faces, so many lights, everything was bright and colourful and to the extremes of everything she'd ever known. This was so much bigger than Omega. She'd had no idea just how big it was. It was one thing watching it on TV, but another altogether to be actually here doing it. She mentally shook herself. Now was not the time to get stage fright. It was only a house show.

She slid into the ring, walking to the back and turning to face the ramp with her hands on her hips, trying to get the character straight in her mind. Her character was supposed to be aggressive and haughty, but still face and very dignified.

"And introducing her opponent, from Atlanta, Georgia; Daffney!"

Sevina had had the chance to meet Daffney a.k.a Shannon Spruill before the show and was glad to find her very charming and pleasant, but she knew all too well the psychotic character that she played and wasn't looking forward to this. She took a deep breath, shifting her weight from one leg to the other as Daffney stalked out onto the ramp, flicking her dark hair over her shoulder and regarding her opponent with obvious dislike. She climbed into the ring and Sevina fought not to wince in preparation as Daffney took a deep breath and let out the loudest, shrillest scream Sevina had ever heard.

The bell was rung and the match began. Sevina was nervous. More than she could ever remember, but she hid it well. She took her beating with dignity and didn't sit back idly and let herself get walked over. When Daffney grabbed her hair, yanking her forward, she grabbed the other woman's wrists and literally threw her into the air and over her shoulder.

Sevina lost, as she was supposed to when Daffney took advantage of the ref being knocked down to hit her with a chair and then picked up the win and quickly left the ring, leaving Sevina lying on the canvas, staring up the lights and scaffolding above her. She felt as if a weight had come off her shoulders and then the most bizarre thing happened. As she dragged herself to her feet, she dared to lower her defences and look around, to find that the fans...the thousands of fans, were cheering and they were cheering for her. She was gobsmacked. She stood in the centre of the ring for longer than she was supposed to and just stared out at them, a smile lingering on her face as she soaked it all up.

Her smile quickly vanished as her navy eyes suddenly clashed with a pair of bright emerald and she felt her heart stop. Jeff. She quickly looked away, though it took some effort and tried to casually leave the ring and walk up the ramp, but the whole time her heart was hammering in her chest and her stomach was tying itself in knots. He had not looked happy at all. How had he even found out she was here?

* * *

"Hey, rookie!" Sevina, by now used to the nickname, turned and smiled when she saw Shannon Spruill jogging towards her. The other woman stopped and held out her hand to shake, "You did a great job out there. Well done." Sevina grinned and shook her hand, momentarily forgetting her impeding and probably violent death at the hands of the Hardys. "Thanks, Shannon. That really means a lot to me."

"See you next week!" Sevina nodded as the other woman ran off and then took a deep breath, running her fingers through her hair which was still slightly damp from her shower. She smoothed down her jeans and fitted t-shirt unnecessarily and shifted her bag on her shoulder. Well, no point putting off the inevitable. If she was going down, she might as well do it sooner rather than later. Groaning inwardly she headed for the stars exit, knowing that Matt and Jeff would be waiting for her.

They didn't disappoint. They were both stood on the other side of the chain link fence, no devoid of the usual presence of fans, since Sevina had lingered so long inside. She looked at them both, but their expressions were identical, unreadable masks. She smiled politely to the security guard as he let her out and unknowingly brought her face-to-face with her doom. She waited for either of them to say something, but when neither did she just had to break the silence, "Um...I can explain."

"We're not going to talk about this here. There's a restaurant down the street. Follow our truck and we'll talk there." Matt's voice was completely devoid of emotion and held no room for argument. Sevina could only nod meekly in response and then head for her car. This was not going to be pretty. She sighed as she dumped her bag on the passenger seat and looked towards the truck which now held both Hardy brothers. Well, at least they were going somewhere with witnesses. She cursed under her breath and then fired up the ignition and reluctantly followed them out of the parking lot.


	26. Supposed To Be

**A/N: I hadn't intended to write this chapter like this, but as I was writing it, this happened and it seemed to fit better with Sevina's character than what I had planned.**

**Thanks to, MesshaBlack, JenniferRayne and I Luv Hardy, you lot are awesome :D**

**On with the show!

* * *

**

Sevina sat across from Matt and Jeff who were both just examining their menus. She ran her fingers through her hair and shifted awkwardly in her seat. So far they hadn't said a single word to her and the silence was making her more and more anxious. She was so tense and focused on them that when the waitress came over to get their order she almost jumped out of her skin. Still the brothers didn't talk to her. In fact, they didn't even look at her. She fidgeted, unwilling to be the one to break the silence, knowing that as soon as she did she was going to be in big trouble.

This went on right up until their food arrived. Sevina picked at her salad, far too anxious to feel hungry. Matt and Jeff didn't seem to share her problem and she could take it anymore. She threw her fork noisily onto her plate and glared at them, "Would you two say something already?" They both stopped eating and looked at her, as did a few other people in the restaurant. She flushed and slouched down in her chair in an attempt to hide from the enquiring eyes. Matt and Jeff looked at one another. It was Matt who spoke, "What would you like us to say?"

"Whatever it is that you brought me here to say." Sevina glared at him, but he didn't reply. More silence fell and it was even tenser than before. Sevina could feel her anger rising and tried to beat it down, but it was difficult. Rational sense told her that they had every right to be annoyed with her. She'd kept this from them when it was the kind of thing that she should have told them, but she wasn't really in the mood to listen to rationality. She had been buzzing only an hour previous, riding the biggest high of her life as she headed into the match of her life that was supposed to be the start of her professional career. At her age, getting into a company like WCW was huge and she was supposed to be really happy right now. Not to mention, Matt and Jeff were supposed to be in Boston. She'd planned on telling them when they came home. She didn't even know what they were doing here.

"How did you find out?" `She figured it was probably best to get the obvious stuff out of the way first. Jeff spoke up this time, setting down his beer slowly, "Shannon felt that we should be here to see your first match. He didn't know that you hadn't told us." Sevina closed her eyes in distress. She had had a feeling that she should have filled Shannon in on the details, but had pushed the instinct down as paranoia.

"You should have told us." Sevina opened her eyes to look at Jeff who had a frown fixed on his handsome face and felt an irrational dart of irritation. She shook her head, folding her arms sulkily. "Why? So you could talk me out of it?"

"Maybe. Sevina, you're not even nineteen yet. Not to mention you're working for the company that's in direct competition with ours." Jeff's tone was reasonable, but Sevina didn't want to hear it. She ground her teeth together and looked away from him, trying not to give in to the childish urge to stand up and walk out.

"Jeff's right. WCW is not a good place to be right now, they're hiring anybody and everybody to try and keep up with us." Sevina flicked her eyes to Matt and narrowed them. He knew her well enough to know that she was getting angry and he sighed in half exasperation, half resignation and sat back in his seat. He lifted his hands into the air and then let them drop into his lap, "We're just looking out for you, Kid."

"I'm not a kid!" Both Matt and Jeff saw it, the snap in Sevina's head and she felt it, but it was someone different. It wasn't just pure rage, it wasn't pure anger; it was hurt. It was very evident that neither of them thought she was mature enough for this. On top of that and worse in its way, they didn't want her wrestling for WCW because it was in competitive with the WWF. They didn't care about what this meant for her and her future. They just cared about some stupid rating war between the two companies. Well, they'd left her behind, they'd got their dream contracts and she had been left to find her own way. She didn't resent them for their success, but she hated that they couldn't accept hers.

"Sevina, please, remember where we are." Matt's tone was bracing, but Sevina just shook her head angrily and stood up. "I don't care where we are! This is exactly why I didn't tell you about this. God, would you listen to yourselves? All you care about is this stupid company rivalry, but what about me? What about what I want? Doesn't that matter?"

"Vina, of course it matters. All we're saying is that they haven't necessarily hired you on skill."

"Oh because someone my age could never be good enough, right?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to, Jeff."

"WCW are heading into the gutter, V. They can't get good wrestlers so they're taking on everyone who comes their way."

"You have no idea what I had to do to get this job."

"They're just keeping up appearances. They don't want their roster to know that they're struggling."

"Why can't you just believe that they hired me on my talent?"

"Sevina, you're eighteen. No professional company hires anyone your age."

"You were wrestling for the WWF when you were sixteen!"

"I was an exception."

"And it's impossible that I could be too?"

"No, that's not what I meant."

"No? Then what did you mean?"

"You're over-reacting."

"Over-reacting?! Are you fucking kidding me?!" She lifted her hands to press against her forehead, her fingers gripping the front of her hair as she tried to get a handle on the emotions that were running through her. She felt like she was going to explode from the inside out. She took several deep breaths, oblivious to all the faces now turned in their direction. She looked at Matt and Jeff, who were watching her anxiously, now both on their feet as well. She shook her head, lowering her hands and her voice, feeling the anger drain out of her and a kind of dead numbness fill her up instead.

"This was supposed to be my shot; my chance to do something and be somebody. You got yours, but now you can't let me have mine. You _left, _you went and got your dreams and I had to stay behind and try to find something, _anything_ to take away the pain of missing you both so damn much. I worked really hard for this; I overcame _so much_ to get here, to earn this chance. I don't give a damn about a ratings war or rival companies or anything like that, all I care about is going out there, in front of those fans and being the very best that I can be because even if it comes to nothing in the end, it is better than sitting and home day after day thinking about that chances that I _didn't_ take. When I met you I had nothing. No future. No tomorrow. Nothing. You gave that back to me. You showed me how to be better and now that I am, now that I'm taking the steps to be the person you knew I could be...you're going to stand here and tell me that I'm too young? That I'm working for a substandard company because it's in competition with yours?" She paused and shook her head, frowning at them both. "You're supposed to be my best friends. My family. You're supposed to be happy for me regardless of the decisions I make, you're supposed to support me. You were the only two people who were there for me when everything fell apart...but I guess that only works as long as things are going how you want them to."

She fell silent, just looking at them both, then she glanced around and saw that everyone was looking at them and felt her anger rise again, "Yeah, take a good look! This, right here, _this_ is what happens when you do something for yourself. This is what happens when you take steps for your own life." She turned her gaze back to Matt and Jeff and resentment was burning them, resentment for what they had said here tonight. "The people who are supposed to care...don't."

She pulled out her wallet, grabbing a handful of notes and throwing them down on the table before turning to leave. Matt's voice called after her, "Sevina, wait!"

She spun to look at her and shook her head, "Why? So you can tell me that I'm only working because there was no-one else? Well, fine. To make you happy, my _best friend_, I'll be resigning in the morning." She turned to leave again, but stopped and looked back. "Fuck you." Then she left. There was nothing left to say. That had gone even worse than she had imagined. Tears blinded her as she dived into her car and she swiped at them furiously, determined to collect herself. What she had not mentioned, what she had kept to herself was that this was the first night she was going to be sleeping in her new house by herself and she really didn't need to spend it crying over those two.

This was supposed to be a brilliant day. New job, new house, new start. Everything was supposed to perfect, but it wasn't. It was such a mess. She crossed her wrists on the steering wheel and rested her forehead against them for a moment, before firing up the ignition and speeding away from the restaurant. She kept replaying everything that had happened, her mind now coming up with things she could have said or done to make it go different. She didn't want this to be the end of her friendship with Matt and especially her relationship with Jeff, but she couldn't see how they'd recover from this. It just wasn't possible. Everything was ruined...everything.


	27. A Passing Storm

**A/N: As with my other fic, I cannot apologise enough for how long it's taken me to update this, work has been manic. Thank you to; MesshaBlack, JenniferRayne, Sonib89, I Luv Hardy and Cena's Baby Doll for reviewing the last chapter. I shall try to update more often!**

**On with the show!

* * *

**

Sevina stared around her half furnished living room, two couches were stacked on top of each other, an armchair sat in the corner, still wrapped in plastic and here and there were dotted several other pieces of non-descript furniture. She had planned on coming home and going straight to bed that night, but since the argument with Matt and Jeff, she knew sleep was going to be difficult. She walked over to the couches and carefully tugged on the top one. It was much more unsteady than she had hoped and she had to dive out of the way as it crashed to the ground, one of the arms breaking in the process and now sitting at a strange angle inside of the fabric. Sevina swore and kicked it, then flinched as a loud roll of thunder sounded outside.

Gil had warned her that there was a storm incoming, but she'd planned on being fast asleep by the time it arrived. She hated storms. When she had been a child, her father had told her that it was God and Satan, fighting over her soul and that it would only go away if she was a very good girl. If that were true, she'd have been constantly surrounded by storms, or have lost her soul completely by now. At least, in her father's eyes she would have.

At that exact moment, all the lights cut out, causing the raven-haired girl to release a string of inventive curse words. She walked to the switch and flicked it on and off, but got no response. "Perfect." She headed into the kitchen and fished around in one of the drawers for a flashlight, then grabbed a jacket and headed outside. She wasn't prepared for the sudden downpour of icy rain and gasped as she stepped outside. She ground her teeth together in irritation and ducked her head down before running around to the side of the house to check the fuse switches, which were located underneath a large plastic shelter. At least it was dry.

She found the system trip and tried to turn it back on where the storm had shorted it out, but it was jammed. She screamed in frustration and kicked the side of the house. As if things couldn't get any worse, she somehow managed to drop her flashlight in the pooling mud at her feet. That seemed to be the final straw and she just stood the, glaring at nothing, her hands curled into fists at her side, getting steadily angrier and angrier. The rain hammered on the plastic shelter over her head and the sky lit up sporadically with flashes of lightening, followed by deafening roars of thunder and it felt exactly as she imaged it would, if two monsters were fighting for her soul. She scowled and stomped out from under the shelter and turned her face up to the sky, screaming as loudly as she could, "Leave me alone! You can't have it! Fuck. OFF!" She stamped her feet repeatedly, which meant she ended up slipping over and landing butt first in the mud.

She huddled into herself, her fingers threading into her hair and tugging on it. She knew she should move, but she just couldn't be bothered anymore.

* * *

"Sevina? What the hell are you doing out here? Come on, up you get." Jeff put his arms around her and gently lifted her to her feet. She didn't resist. She didn't have the energy or will to. She barely noticed as they climbed the steps to the house, or when Jeff disappeared, leaving her standing, dripping wet, in the kitchen. The lights suddenly came on, causing her to flinch from the brightness and then Jeff was back. He was wrapping something warm and soft around her and guiding her to one of the stools. She sat down, just staring at nothing, a kind of numb feeling inside of her. She could feel her teeth chattering and her whole body shivering, but felt oddly detached from it. "Here, drink this, it'll warm you up."

She didn't looked at the glass he handed her, just took a large mouthful of whatever it was and then promptly spat it back out, coughing and feeling as if her mouth were on fire. She choked, her eyes watering and peered at Jeff, "What the hell is that?"

"It's whiskey. You're not supposed to drink it all at once." He shook his head at her and then slowly guided the glass back up to her mouth, letting her take a small sip, before taking it away and setting it on the side. His hand gently rubbed her arms, which she noticed were covered by the burgundy blanket her had wrapped her in. "What the hell were you thinking, sitting out there in the middle of a storm?" The cold was starting to set in now and she was really shivering, feeling the chill running right down to her bones. "I...I just...f-fell over..."

"God, you're freezing. Come on." Without another word he lifted her right off the stool and into his arms. She tried to protest, but her teeth were chattering so hard that speaking put her in real danger of biting through her lip. So instead, she just huddled against him. He walked her into her bathroom and set her down on the edge of the tub, whilst he got the shower running, "You think you can manage a shower?" Sevina nodded stubbornly and stood up, only to slip over as her shaking hand reached out to grab the wall. Jeff quickly caught her and shook his head, muttering under his breath. Slowly, carefully, his long fingers began to peel away her clothing, until she was left into her underwear. He didn't look at her body, just kept his eyes on her face and she couldn't take her eyes off him and the intense concentration on his face. It didn't even occur to her to feel embarrassed.

Steam was beginning to rise around them as the shower heated up and still they didn't take their eyes off each other. Jeff could feel how cool her skin was as his fingers skipped lightly along her arms, trying to warm her up with the friction of his palm against her skin. She was still shivering and her lips were slightly blue and trembling. He ran his thumb over her lower lip and then suddenly pressed his own lips to her cold forehead. He lingered there, closing his eyes. He hadn't envisaged this situation and was always careful to draw clear lines as far as their physical relationship went; not wanting to push her into something she wasn't ready for, so this was really testing his resolve. When he had regained his composure, he lifted her into his arms again and walked into the shower with her. He winced as the hot water hit his fully clothed body uncomfortably and carefully set Sevina on her feet, but kept his hands on her waist to steady her. She was frowning at him through the water, but she didn't say a word. Her eyes closed as his hands moved to gently run through her hair, massaging her scalp.

The hot water felt amazing, as if she were being warmed from the inside and she could feel her muscles relaxing, the sharp, juddering trembles dying down, leaving her feeling exhausted. She hadn't realised how tiring it was to be cold and shivering for so long. She leaned against Jeff, letting him support her, her cheek resting against the wet fabric of his shirt. It was only then that she seemed to realise he was fully dressed under the shower and she tried to protest, but only mumbled sighs escaped her. She couldn't even open her eyes. She heard Jeff say something, but she didn't hear it, though she definitely picked up on the amusement in his tone.

Neither was sure how long they stood there. Sevina was half asleep and Jeff was concentrating far too hard on behaving himself to pay any attention. Eventually though, he turned and shut the water off, then grabbed one of the towels from outside and wrapped it around Sevina, who complained feebly at him. As he lifted her out of the shower, he felt the cold hit him through his soaked clothes. Quickly he helped her into a bathrobe and set her on her bed, then went to take a shower, by himself. The dye had run in his new red shirt and stained the skin beneath. When he finally emerged, he wrapped himself in the remaining bathrobe and went into Sevina's room. She was dozing gently on the bed, her face pillowed on her fist, mouth slightly open. Her hair was rumbled and still damp, causing the cream, crushed silk of her pillowcase to be slightly darker from where the moisture had soaked into it. She looked completely relaxed, all tension gone from her face. Slowly Jeff climbed onto the bed beside her, laying his arm gently over her waist and drawing her against him. She was still shivering slightly; the shower hadn't completely warmed her up. He grabbed the blankets and dragged them up over them both.

"Jeff..."

"Shh, I'm here. Go to sleep, V." She mumbled something but it was lost in a sigh as she pushed back harder against him and he bit back a groan, burying his face in her hair and grinding his teeth together. Without warning, Sevina suddenly turned in his arms, one of her legs tangling with his as she tucked her face into the crook of his neck. He could feel her warm breath lightly brushing his neck and it was driving him mad. He tried to move his head a little to stop it, but she simply moved closer, her leg tightening on his. Jeff sighed and closed his eyes. He was not going to be able to sleep like this and as if to simply make matters worse, her cool, light fingers suddenly wormed their way into the front of his robe to rest gently on his chest. She had to be doing this on purpose. He looked at her suspiciously, but her eyes were closed and her face was completely relaxed.

He wasn't sure when he eventually fell asleep; though he'd be forever surprised that he'd managed it at all. He only remembered awakening. The room was pitch black, but he could feel Sevina's fingers running gently through his hair as her soft, now warm, lips tracing his jaw very lightly. Thinking she might still be half asleep, he mumbled her name, a little groggy himself. In response, she pressed her lips lightly to his, almost hesitantly, as if testing his reaction. He immediately responded, now wide awake and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. She sighed happily against his mouth, her hands tightening in his hair. Her hands, to his surprise, suddenly untied the bathrobe he was still wearing. Jeff had always been careful never to push her into anything, but all rational thought was quickly driven from his mind, replaced by something far more primal and necessary.

* * *

When he woke up next, the sun was shining brightly into Sevina's new bedroom. She hadn't put curtains up yet. Jeff moved, trying to get the sun out of his eyes, but froze as he felt a weight over one side of his body. He looked down as saw Sevina asleep with her head on his chest, one arm over his stomach. For all that he could tell she was completely naked and so was he. So that hadn't been just an extremely intense and wonderful dream, then? His mind was a little confused. Everything had happened in a weird order. He had come over last night to apologise and try to explain. He hadn't expected to find her sitting in the yard in the middle of a thunderstorm.

He reached down and brushed her hair from her eyes. He noted how long it was getting. He liked it. As his fingers brushed her cheek, her mouth lifted in a smile and she opened her eyes slowly, looking up at him. "Hey."

"Hey yourself. Did you sleep alright?"

"Like a baby. I should use you for a pillow more often." They both frowned as she said that. Their combined travelling schedules would mean that their time together would be even more limited now, but Jeff was determined not to make that into a huge deal. He and Matt had agreed that their behaviour had been wrong. Sevina has supported them both, whatever their decisions and now it was their turn to do the same for her.

"Listen, about WCW-"

"God, Jeff, do you have to bring that up?" Sevina scowled and sat up, pulling her knees to her chest and threading her fingers into her hair. Jeff sighed and reached out a hand to softly stroke her lower back. "Would you hear me out before you start complaining?"

Sevina made a begrudging noise, but stayed quiet. Jeff smiled and moved to sit behind her, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her to lie back against his chest. He linked their hands together over her stomach and rested his head beside hers. "We were wrong, V. We shouldn't have reacted like that; it was selfish and uncalled for. I just want you to know that you have our support, one hundred percent."

Sevina turned her head a little to look at him, a smile playing about her lips. "You mean it?"

"I do." He smiled back at her and she kissed him lightly, then leaned against him more comfortably, quite happy to stay where she was for the foreseeable future. "Thank you."


	28. The Dream Is Over

**A/N: As before, sorry for taking so long. Work is insane . Thanks to; Sonib89, MesshaBlack, JenniferRayne, Cena's Baby Doll and Punk81 for reviewing the last chapter. I really appreciate it it :)**

**Covering some huge expanses of time in this chapter, I'm sorry if it's a little difficult to keep up, I've tried my best.**

**On with the show!

* * *

**

"Jeff, I gotta go. I'll call you when I land, okay?"

"Alright, be safe."

"You too."

* * *

"Hey kid, how's Chicago?"

"It's windy!"

"Hahaha. What did you expect? Oh, Jeff says hi. I gotta go, we're just loading up now. Talk to you when we land."

"Okay. Bye."

* * *

"Oh, Daffney, just totally obliterated her!"

"Total dominance from Daffney during this match."

"Seems like Princess was a little distracted throughout that match."

"Well, that's all for tonight folks. Next week, catch WCW, live in San Francisco!"

* * *

"The Hardy Boyz just won their first WWF tag team championships!"

"These two crazy young men from a tiny town in North Carolina have fought to be here and now they've done it! They have secured their place in WWF! They have captured the Tag-Team Championships! They are on their way!"

"I cannot wait to see what these guys do next! They have no fear, no boundaries and they are definitely the ones to watch!"

* * *

"Mr Russo, I am not trying to be disrespectful, but I am working my ass off and you can't even give me job security?"

"I don't know what to tell you, kid. We're not extending contracts at the moment. You're still booked for another four months. I can't give you any more than that, I'm sorry. Even our long-term talent aren't being renewed at the moment."

Sevina sighed and nodded, then stood up and left the office. Greg and Shannon were waiting for her. She frowned at them and said nothing as they all headed out. Shannon was the first to speak, his usually hyper active personality seeming downcast, "We're in trouble."

Sevina and Greg both glanced at him, but said nothing. They all knew, though no-one would confirm it, that WCW was drowning. These also knew that Vince Russo was likely to be losing his job soon. WWF were obliterating them in ratings as the superstars of WCW became more and more apathetic due to their treatment from the company. All contract renewals had been suspended.

* * *

"Oh, it so good to be home!" Sevina talked to her empty house, dumping her case inside the door. A sense of unease began to settle over her. There was something she had to do whilst she was here, that she really didn't want to; but that she knew she had no choice over. She sighed and headed into the kitchen. She looked around, frowning slightly and rubbed her eyes. A knock on the front door drew her attention and she knew it would be Matt and Jeff. For the first time in a month, they were all home at the same time.

Her unease increased as she let them in and they all talked about nothing of consequence for a while. Shannon and Greg soon joined them and presented her with the opportunity she needed. She took Jeff to one side, "Jeff? Can we talk?"

Sevina looked at him with a serious expression and Jeff knew this wouldn't be good. He nodded none-the-less and let her take his hand and lead him to the back yard of her house. She said nothing as she sat down on the swing bench, pulling him down beside her. Jeff looked at their interlinked hands, frowning slightly. Sevina could feel her stomach churning. She didn't want to do this, but she had no choice. She looked at him and saw him looking down at their hands her voice drew his gaze back to her face. "Look at me. Please."

He obliged, still frowning. The hand that wasn't holding onto his came up to run over his face, as if trying to smooth the frown away. "Jeff, I love you. You're my best friend and this…relationship, has been amazing." Jeff already knew what she was going to say, he'd felt it coming in their recent phone conversations and he couldn't argue. The distance was too much, their work schedules were too heavy and it just wasn't right. Not yet.

Jeff sighed and took the hand that was touching his face. He smiled at her and brought her fingers up to his mouth, kissing them lightly. "I know, Vina. It's okay. I understand." Sevina was frowning, worried that she had hurt him. Worried that things wouldn't be right between them anymore. Jeff didn't like seeing that fear in her eyes and he sought to soothe it away. "Sevina, we're cool. Don't worry. We had fun though, right?" Sevina smiled, unable not to when he was grinning at her and she nodded. She still wasn't convinced that he was alright or that she was. Something wanted to keep him close to her, to keep the relationship going even if they never saw each other and they were almost always miles and miles apart.

She didn't know what it was caused by, but she knew that Jeff was vital to her. She moved and rested her head on his shoulder, her face turned into the crook of his neck. They didn't say anything for a long time, but eventually they started talking, taking the time to go over everything properly and sort it out so that there would be no leftover concerns. A clean break that would hopefully leave their friendship intact.

* * *

"Vina, hey, how are you?"

"I'm alright. Tired."

"Well, listen, we're gonna be in Cameron this weekend, are you home?"

"Um..." Sevina reached over and grabbed her bag, pulling out her schedule. "I wasn't going to be, but I can probably come back for Saturday and fly out on Sunday."

"We are you going next?"

"New York."

* * *

"I can't believe it! I never thought I would see the day that The Hardy Boyz turned like that!"

"It seems they've been drawn into the New Brood."

"I'm still in shock; this is a very unexpected turn of events here."

* * *

"This is No Mercy and we have just witnessed the first ever tag-team ladder match and we have just witnessed The Hardy Boyz defeating Edge and Christian to win the serives of Terri Runnels!"

"These guys just seem to keep going from strength to strength. Is there anything that they can't do?"

* * *

Whilst Matt and Jeff were reaching the heights in the WWF, Sevina was stuck in the midst of a crumbling company, wishing she'd followed the advice of her friends. The others in the locker room were getting just as restless as she was, wondering amongst themselves what would happen to them if the company folded. Some of them would go to WWF no doubt, but what about the smaller talents? What about those who hadn't been there very long or where in the lower factions of the roster?

Still, she went out there every night and did her job. She wrestled her heart out, putting her body and soul on the line each and every match to give the best performance that she could. There was very little dignity in working as a jobber, but there was a chance, a slim chance that it might get her noticed by another company and she could jump ship before the one she was on sank.

* * *

"Sevina! Over here!" Jeff jumped up and down excitedly, waving frantically at his friend. Matt was stood behind him, leaning against his car. They'd just returned from their first Wrestlemania and were both feeling very proud of themselves. Sevina ran over, almost knocking Jeff off his feet with the force of her hug. She hadn't seen them properly in far too long and had missed them both. She'd been having a hell of a time with WCW, who had decided to bring Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo back only to have the two of them spend half their time arguing non-stop.

It was nice for her to be back at home at the same time as the boys and she knew they were happy about it as well. Jeff always loved coming back to Cameron, it truly was his home and it always would be. He caught Sevina as she jumped at him and hugged her back just as fiercely as she hugged him. He laughed and swung her around, then leaned back to look at her, touching her hair, newly dyed blue. "Your hair grew out!"

Sevina laughed and nodded before shaking her head, making the long tendrils fly around her face. "Yep. I got sick of having it short." Jeff grinned at her, catching a lock of it between his fingers and examining it closely before letting it fall. "I really like it! You should keep it like that." They then bundled into the backseat of Matt's car and headed off to Jeff's house.

* * *

"Shannon? What's going on?" Sevina approached him where he was stood leaning against a wall in the arena. He frowned at her and sighed. All Sevina had heard since she arrived was raised voices and commotion.

"The company's folding, Looka'." Sevina stared at him, shaking her head as if to clear it, sure she hadn't heard him completely right. There was no way things could have crumbled so suddenly.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. We all just got told to go home and wait for word." Shannon ran a hand down his face and Sevina just stared at nothing. This couldn't be happening. Not like this. There had been no warning, no time to prepare. How was this possible?

* * *

Sevina sat on her couch, staring despondently at the television. Jeff was over with Beth, they'd been together for a while now so Sevina was used to her presence and actually got along well with her. Everyone had been a little nervous when the two women had met the first time, but all those fears had soon been erased.

Matt was in the hovering in the background with Greg and Amy and Shannon was on the floor at Sevina's feet. They were watching the news as it came up that WCW had been purchased and dissolved by Vince McMahon. Just like that, the dream was over. Shannon rested his head on Sevina's leg, closing his eyes and Sevina tilted her head back, lifting a hand to cover her eyes. Greg and Shannon had gotten out a few weeks before the official dissolution of the company, but Sevina was still bound to them by contract and she didn't even care at this point what happened with it. She knew she would be released soon enough.


	29. Nowhere To Fall From The Bottom

**A/N: I am SO sorry this has taken so long. I am ashamed of my terrible updating lately.**

**So, here's a fairly long chapter to make up for my failings.**

**Thanks to; _Sonib89, JenniferRayne, I Luv Hardy, Cena's Baby Doll _and_ Ani's C-bear_ for reviewing the last chapter.**

**As with my other fic that I'm running, from 100 reviews I will give the person who post every 50th review a one-shot if they want one.**

**So, whoever posts my 100th review on this story will get a one-shot of their choosing.**

**On with the show!

* * *

**

"Hey, Beth! Can you tell Jeff to wait before he lights the grill? I had some problems with it last week and I wanna get someone to take a look at it."

"Sure thing, V. I'll let him know." Beth mock saluted the younger woman before disappearing out onto the deck. Sevina smiled and went back to laying out the bowls of salad along the breakfast bar. She looked up as she heard the front door open.

"Hey, Looka'! Where you at?"

"Kitchen, Shan!" Shannon ambled in and presented her with two crates of beer. He looked extremely pleased with himself as he set them down amidst the salad, prompting Sevina to throw a dishcloth at him. "Don't put them there. Beer goes in the cooler on the deck."

"But they won't fit."

"That's why Matt brought over the big cooler. Now get." Sevina ducked as Shannon threw the cloth back her before grabbing the beer and going out. She smiled and dusted off her hands. It was a rare weekend where Matt and Jeff weren't busy so they're decided to have a house party, with Sevina's house being designated the venue, mostly because she had nothing else to do with her time these days and had plenty of time to set everything up before people arrived. Jeff was insisting on cooking, so everyone knew to stay well back from the grill and Sevina had hidden all of her good shoes. Just in case.

She was dumping a bag of chips into a bowl when the phone rang. She grabbed the receiver, tucking it between her ear and her shoulder as she grabbed the trays of meat from the fridge. "Hello?"

"_Miss Ataera?"_

"Speaking."

"_Hi, I don't know if you'll remember me; we've only met a couple of times, my name's Jeff Jarrett."_

"Oh yeah, I remember you. Hi, how are you?"

"_I'm good, listen; I have a proposition for you."_ Sevina frowned, her eyebrows lifting and she paused in the process of putting the meat trays on the counter.

"I'm listening." Jeff went on to explain this new company he was building up called NWA Total Nonstop Action. They would run weekly pay-per-views in order to build up a fan base and then move on from that when the time was right. He listed a few of the former WCW superstars who had already signed on to their roster and outlined his plans for the company. Sevina waved Matt away as he tried to talk to her, listening intently to what Jeff was saying.

"_Basically, we were wondering if you could come out to Nashville and talk about you maybe signing with us."_

"Um...wow. That sounds great. I'm still under my ninety day no work clause, though." Sevina had been one of the last to be released from her WCW contract.

"_Yes, we've run into that problem a lot. What we will do, if you agree to sign with us, is have you spend a lot of time with creative working on an angle until your clause is over."_

"Okay...um...sure. When do you need me?"

"_Can I book you transport for Monday?"_

"That soon? Okay, well, that shouldn't be problem. Not like I have anything else planned."

"_Excellent. I'll look forward to seeing you on Monday."_

"Yeah, you too. Thanks." She hung up the phone and stared at it for a few moments, before slowly placing it back on the hook. Matt was still waiting to talk to her and frowned at the look on her face. "You okay, kid?" He walked over to her when she didn't respond and grasped her shoulder. "Hey."

She looked at him and then shook herself, nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I'm great. Hey, can you come and look at the grill for me?"

"Uh...sure."

* * *

"Okay, okay, I wanna know your most embarrassing memories about Jeff." Beth ignored the noise of protest from her boyfriend as she looked around the deck at the people gathered. They all immediately started talking over one another. Finally Matt's voice came through. "When he was twelve, we had this huge storm and he took off all his clothes and ran around Dad's yard screaming that he was the weather god."

"Really?" Beth giggled and looked at Jeff who had covered his face with his hand. Shannon piped up next. "First time I wrestled Jeff, he went to hit me with a clothesline and tripped over his own feet, planted himself face-first in the mat and broke his nose. Then he told everyone that I'd punched him."

"Oh, what about the time he fell in the pool at Greg's house a few years ago? Remember that?"

"Yeah! And when he fell _out_ of Matt's hot tub."

"What about you, V? Got any embarrassing stories?" Beth looked at over at her and she tilted her head a little, looking thoughtful, then a sly grin appeared on her face and she sat up a little on her chair. Jeff shook his head. "Don't you dare."

"Well, there was this one time..."

"Sevina, I will kill you."

"We were hanging out at Omega and we thought everyone else had gone home..."

"I mean it!"

"I was putting stuff away and Jeff was dancing around in the ring. I called him over, but it was dark. I figured he was just taking his time, but when I looked around I couldn't see him anywhere. I wandered around for about ten minutes then went to the locker room and it was pitch black. I turned on the light and found very naked Jeff whispering sweet nothings into the ear of an extremely traumatised janitor."

The deck erupted with laughter and Jeff suddenly dived at Sevina who squealed and ran away. He grabbed the hose and turned it on, proceeding to chase her around the yard with it whilst the others ignored her pleas for help since they were too busy laughing.

Amy rested her head on Matt's shoulder, saying quietly enough for no-one but him to hear; "Why did those two break up? I mean, don't get me wrong, Beth's great, but Jeff and Vina...they got something. You know?"

Matt glanced at her and smiled, putting his arm around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head. "It just wasn't right for them. It'll work out. You'll see."

* * *

"Hi, Sevina, welcome to Tennessee, it's good to see you again." Jeff held his hand out and Sevina shook it, smiling. She glanced around and then back at him.

"You too. Don't know why I've never been here before."

"One of those places, I think. Anyway, if you'd like to follow me, I want you to meet Dixie." Sevina motioned for him to lead the way through the hotel. She fiddled idly with the silver bangles on her right wrist as they walked. Jeff chatted away about nothing of consequence and Sevina nodded and smiled, but didn't really pay much attention. She was actually a bit nervous about this. She knew that this entire company was a risk and she'd already taken one risk with her career that failed.

"Dixie is our marketing and publicity manager. You'll be working a lot with her to market your angle and with the creative team until your clause is over...if you decide to join us, of course. Here we are." He knocked on the door to one of the hotel's conference rooms and then walked inside. "Hey, Dixie, this is Sevina Ataera. Sevina, this is Dixie Carter."

Dixie shook Sevina's hand and smiled brightly at her, "Hi, I remember seeing you on WCW. You're younger than I thought."

Sevina flushed a little, her age always came up in these situations. She was still extremely young by professional wrestling standards, especially since she'd hadn't been put into a developmental programme. "Yeah, everybody says that."

"Oh, is that a southern accent? Where are you from?"

"Originally Florida, but I grew up North Carolina."

"Ah, yes, I remember Jeff saying something about that." Jeff nodded and then walked around the table to pick up a bulky contract. "You'll obviously want to look through this and make sure everything's okay with it. We've had a talk and we'd really like you to sign with us. Dixie doesn't normally get involved with this stuff, but she seems to have taken a shine to you."

Dixie rolled her eyes at him and then looked at Sevina again, "It's so hard for women to get taken seriously in this industry and especially at such a young age. We'd really like to work with you." Sevina smiled at her, then looked at Jeff, her eyes drifting to the contract in his hands. She took it when he offered it to her. "You mind if I take this to my room and look through it?"

"No, absolutely. I'd be surprised if you didn't. Take your time and when you're ready give me a call and we'll go over everything." Jeff nodded and then led her out to show her where her room was. She was going to be staying only for one night. She had twenty-four hours to make this decision.

* * *

"Hey, Matt, did V say she was going anywhere this week?"

"Why?"

"I just called her place and there's no answer. I called Dad's and he said she's out of town for a couple of days." Jeff sat down beside his brother and laced up his boots. Matt shrugged, dragging a brush through his hair. "She's probably gone to see her sister. She told you that Jessica had moved out to Charlotte, right?"

"Yeah, that makes sense."

"Why were you calling her anyway?"

"Just wanted to see how she was." Jeff shrugged and stood up, wandering around the locker room a little aimlessly. Their match was up soon and Jeff always got jittery before they went on. Matt was used to this by now and simply ignored him as he taped his wrist. Jeff was bouncing up and down on the spot, rolling his neck as Matt stood up and slapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, we're up."

* * *

Sevina sat on her hotel bed, her contract at her feet. She flicked on the t.v, watching as Matt and Jeff exploded out onto the ramp. She smiled and hugged her knees. If she signed this contract, it would once again separate her from them most of the time. At least now she got to see them at weekends. On the other hand, if she didn't sign it, she was guaranteed to be stuck in Cameron forever, probably end up working in the minimart, with no prospects. The image of her future that had haunted her returned and she threaded her fingers into her hair tightly as she watched the screen.

She knew that Matt and Jeff worried about her, worried where she was going to end up, where her life was taking her. She had to admit, even she didn't know anymore. Wrestling was her dream, but catching a break was proving tough. TNA sounded like a good idea, it sounded like it had the chance to be successful, but up against the WWF what company could hope to survive? Vince McMahon was a powerhouse, he was like an indestructible force, moving through and conquering everything.

She sighed and glanced at the contract again, her fingers reaching out to run over the front of it. The work schedule was less strenuous than it had been with WCW with weekly pay-per-views from Florida, but therein laid the problem. She could either fly out to Orlando every week or move there. Flying out was going to be taxing, but she didn't want to move permanently away from Cameron, she'd become attached to the tiny town and its inhabitants.

She mulled it over and over in her mind, her eyes glued to the t.v screen, but not really watching. Time ticked by insignificantly as the wheels of her brain went over every possible outcome. After a great length of time she suddenly reached over and grabbed the phone from beside the bed, punching in the number. It rang three times before it was answered. "I'm ready to talk."

* * *

"Okay, this should be easy enough. Matt, Jeff, I've signed for...no, that won't work. Okay. I've decided to go and work for this new company...Pah! Yeah, way to not make it a big deal, Sevina." A loud knocking on the front door caused Sevina to almost jump out of her skin. She quickly pulled her hair into a ponytail and exited the downstairs bathroom. She smoothed her t-shirt nervously and then opened the door, smiling, "Guys!"

Matt and Jeff grinned at her. Beth, who was at Jeff's side held up a six pack of beers and grinned. Sevina grinned back and took them, "Beth, you are my hero. Come on in." She led them through the house. Matt and Jeff chattered noisily and headed out onto the deck. Beth hung back and caught Sevina's arm gently. "You alright?"

Sevina smiled at her and shrugged as she set the beers down, "Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You're all jittery."

"I am?" Sevina scrunched her nose up, then lowered her voice a little, "I have to tell the guys something important...I'm a bit nervous." Beth smiled in an understanding way and grabbed two of the beers, handing one to Sevina. "For courage." Sevina couldn't help but grin as they knocked the cans together lightly. She'd been a little unsure around Beth to begin with; a little left over jealousy about Jeff, but the more time she spent with her, the better she liked her. She was honest and straight down the line about everything. She was amazingly intuitive and it was impossible to dislike her.

Eventually, once they'd consumed the entire six-pack, they headed out onto the deck. Matt was lounging on one of the chairs, whilst Jeff was attacking one of the bushes which circled the outside of the deck. Sevina lifted an eyebrow, "What is he doing?"

Matt looked at the two women, then at Jeff. "Something about revenge. I dunno, I stopped listening when he reached a certain pitch." Beth let out a snort of laughter and went to retrieve Jeff, whilst Sevina sat down beside Matt. Once Jeff had been successfully separated from the bush, Beth pushed him into one of the chairs and sat on him to make sure he stayed there. She then sent Sevina significant look, which was not lost on Matt. "What was that?"

Sevina looked at him innocently, "What was what?"

"That. That look." He looked between Beth and Sevina suspiciously. Jeff stuck his head around the side of Beth, "Am I missing something?"

"Beth and V are conspiring."

"We're not conspiring are we, Beth?"

"Nope. Not conspiring."

"Wait, I know that innocent look. Matt, they're gonna do something to us."

Sevina laughed and shook her head, standing up. "No, we're not. It's just...I have something to tell you guys."

"You're pregnant."

"You're dating a pensioner."

"You're _marrying _a pensioner."

"You're pregnant by a pensioner and have to get married before you give birth to his wrinkly love-child."

"Ew."

"Finished?" Sevina looked at both Matt and Jeff, who had the good grace to look rebuked. She then folded her arms loosely and lowered her gaze, "Actually, it's about my career." Matt and Jeff now exchanged a look, a nervous look that Sevina knew all too well. It was the same look they'd had when they'd found out she was working for WCW and it was the look she'd been dreading. Slowly, she explained, highlighting the good points of what she was doing.

When she had finished, they were silent, seemingly thoughtful. Sevina waited anxiously for them to say something. It was Jeff who spoke up. "I've heard about this company. I looked at the business proposal a while back. I think it's a good idea." Sevina immediately perked up, smiling a little. "Really?" Jeff nodded and looked at Matt, who was also smiling.

"Sounds great, Kid."

Relief washed over Sevina. As long as Matt and Jeff were behind her, she knew she'd be alright. Their time together would once again become very limited, but that was okay, because she had their support and that was all she needed. It was still a risk signing with a fledgling company, but it was a calculated risk. Right now, realistically, it was the only shot she was going to get. None of the indy divisions would take her on as more than a ring girl and for the occasional filler match. That wasn't what she wanted to do. It brought in a little money and it kept her from getting rusty, but it was too insecure. She had a chance to build something and with a brand new company, it could only get better. There was nowhere to fall from the bottom.

* * *

"No weird ring names."

"So you don't want to carry over your ring name from WCW?" Dixie asked, chuckling a little.

"Definitely not." Sevina wrinkled her nose, not for the first time, reminding herself that she needed to smack Shannon for that one. She looked at Dixie, who was sat opposite her in the large Florida office. "Okay, well we'll come up with something else. Did you have anything in mind?"

Sevina chewed on the inside of her lip for a moment. She knew Dixie wasn't normally involved in creative decisions, but since she was the marketing manager and she'd taken a personal interest in Sevina, it wasn't out of her area to be working with her on the finer details. "How about V?"

"V?"

"It's what some of my friends call me."

"V..." Dixie seemed to mull it over for a moment before nodding and smiling, "I like it. Simple, but evocative. Now, you were jobbing on WCW, so you didn't have much of a 'character', but we want to develop your mic skills and your persona. Obviously, this is purely collaborative, but creative want you to start as a heel."

Sevina's eyes went very round. She's done mic skills at Omega, but always as a baby face, she'd never even considered the possibility to being a heel and wasn't sure it was within her capabilities. "Um...why?" She winced a little as she spoke, it seemed like a pretty stupid question, but Dixie's expression was an understanding one. "You have a very natural edginess to your personality which would suit a heel. Being a heel is more difficult than being a face, I won't lie about it, but I think you can handle it."

Sevina wasn't sure, but she didn't want to cause any ripples, so she agreed with some trepidation about what was going to be expected of her.

* * *

"You're gonna be fine. Don't worry." Shannon Spruill smiled reassuringly at Sevina as she tried not to hyperventilate. Sevina had been very glad to find that Shannon had come over to TNA, at least there was one friendly face. The two of them had had some brilliant matches during their time on WCW and new one another well. "What if I mess up, Shan? Have you seen that ring?"

"So it's got a few more sides that we're used to. You'll be fine. I promise. Come on, we're up." Sevina groaned, but let Shannon drag her out of the locker room. Her time with creative had polished her character to perfection. Her ring attire was all black, a basic catsuit, with a waist cincher made from some strange material that glittered when the light hit it. Her hair was black at first gaze, but shone blue when any light struck it, it now hung to the middle of her back, but she had it tied into a high ponytail. Her face was scrubbed clean of any make-up and her boots were a little heavier than most wrestling boots, with an added inch high rubber platform.

On cue, she and Shannon burst out from the curtain and ran down to the ring, attacking Alexis Laree, otherwise known as Mickie James. It was a pretty simple match. Mickie, as Alexis was not being highly promoted by the company at the moment, so she was serving her purpose as a jobber to the other two. Sevina had met her briefly whilst working at WCW, so all three were familiar with each other. The match was fast-paced and at first a little worrying to Sevina who was still trying to get her head around the ring shape, but once it got going, all her anxieties fell away. She knew that Matt and Jeff were watching at home and it spurred her to put on the best performance she could.

Shannon a.k.a Daffney was at ringside, shrieking and shouting various obscenities, egging Sevina on. Sevina herself was surprised how enjoyable it was to play about with the heel character, hitting cheap shots and testing counts. It was an entirely new experience for her and when it ended, something felt like it exploded inside of her chest. She'd won her first professional wrestling match. Her ribs were aching and she gripped them with one arm as Daffney jumped in the ring raised her other hand. She screamed at the top of her lungs and spun in a circle with her arms out to the side.

Backstage, she was riding a high. She hugged Mickie fiercely and they grinned at one another. Sevina could barely contain her excitement as she bounced all over the place, adrenalin rushing through her body.


	30. I Had To Get Out, V

**A/N: So, I know interest in this has dwindled so I'm going to close it down over the next couple of chapters. If we reach 100 reviews, I will still give the 100th**** a one-shot, but will then focus on my other fic 'Wait, what?'. Thank you for all the love thus far, it makes my day. Thanks to Sonib89 and Cena's Baby Doll for reviewing the last chapter. This one's for you guys.**

**On with the show!**

**

* * *

**

TNA took off quickly, but then crashed. Sevina's success faltered as the company began to fall down and it was like reliving a horrible nightmare. HealthSouth Corporation, TNA's financial backer had pulled out, leaving the company floundering and quickly drowning. Everything ground to a halt, leaving Matt and Jeff powerless to do anything but watch as their friend's dreams again fell around her. Sevina's depression threatened to overwhelm her, she withdrew into herself, bursts of anger once again becoming a prominent factor in her personality as it seemed like all she had fought so hard for was about to be destroyed.

A saviour came in Dixie Carter, who loved TNA and convinced her parents to buy out HealthSouth for $250,000 and from there take over presidency of the company. She single-handedly dragged the company out of despair, determinedly wrenching it back from the edge and pushing it to be better and better. Sevina soared through the ranks, quickly gaining a following of her own, winning championships and becoming a well known heel.

However, the blinding lights of success could not block out what was happening elsewhere and Sevina had a front row seat to Jeff's downward spiral. That something was wrong with the younger Hardy brother was obvious. He had become very withdrawn and introspective, turning up late for shows or not turning up at all. There was the suggestion of drug abuse, but if it was true, he was keeping it well hidden from everyone else. Sevina was in Florida when the call came. She was sat in her hotel, having just finished a show when her phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and frowned. It was Matt. This was unusual, normally Matt would only call before a show, never after. Some intuition caused a leaden weight of dread to hit her gut as she answered the call. She listened silently as Matt spoke, her eyes closing in distress. "I'm coming home. Tonight."

She hung up and didn't linger. She immediately booked a flight and packed her things. She was back in Raleigh before daylight. As she arrived at the airport, Matt was waiting for her, they were both silent as they climbed into his truck. They continued to not speak as they drove back to Cameron. By now Jeff had his own place and that was where they went. Sevina slowly climbed out of the truck and nodded to Matt, who then drove off. She walked up to the front door and hesitated. She didn't know what she was going to say. She took a deep breath and knocked, before walking inside. "Jeff?"

There was no answer and no sign of Jeff as Sevina looked around, but when she turned her eyes to the window she saw the lights on in the trailer at the back of the yard. She headed over there. This was Jeff's 'quiet place' where he had set up a little recording studio and where he came to escape from everything else. She knocked on the door hesitantly and heard Jeff call out a greeting from within. She slowly walked inside. Normally she would pause to admire the strange set-up Jeff had concocted within, but this time she just looked at her friend. He was sat at the computer, surrounded by keyboards and guitars, but he wasn't doing anything. He was just sitting there. He didn't look at Sevina.

She walked slowly towards him and stood behind him. She reached out and grasped his shoulder. As soon as she touched him, his head bowed and one of his hands came up to grip her hand. "I had to get out, V. I'm so tired." His voice was low and choked with emotion. Sevina frowned, feeling the sadness well up inside of her and she put her arms around him tightly from behind, her head resting against his. "I know, Jeffro. I know." She whispered tightly, shutting her eyes. Jeff clung to her arms which were linked over his chest.

They stayed that way for a long time, neither talking. Sevina couldn't grasp how things had gone this far. Jeff had been the one to save her from herself, the one who was destined for greatness. His life was like a flight, rocketing skywards, but something had choked the engines and he had crashed. As Sevina held onto him, she could feel the almost frailty to him. He was trembling slightly and he'd lost weight, she could feel the ridges of his sternum under her fingers. Even the brightest star, if it burns too fast, could be extinguished in it's own fire.

Sevina had no words, no comfort for him. She wished that she could erase whatever demon had clawed its way into his mind and robbed him of the beautiful brightness which had always shone out of him. She had seen him less and less recently, their correspondence mostly down to phone calls, but she'd seen it. Even in their most fleeting visits, something had fallen out of place. On the phone he sounded tired, exhausted even. His words less inspirational, more uninspired. He had pulled himself in every direction, trying to be all things at one time and had pulled himself apart. He had chosen release from the WWE over rehab, not because he didn't need it (though Jeff would never have gone to rehab anyway), but because he was too tired to continue. He needed to get out.

Eventually, they moved and went up to the house. Without saying it, they both knew Sevina would be staying the night. She wouldn't leave him, not like this. She called Beth, who was frantic, having been caught up in a family engagement and unable to be there. It comforted her to know that Jeff was not alone, that Sevina was with him. It took some doing, but Sevina convinced him to go to bed, to try and rest his mind. As he slept, Sevina sat in the guest room, staring at nothing and going over the circumstances which had lead them here. If someone like Jeff could fall so hard, what hope did it leave for anyone else?

The morning came and with it came a refreshed Jeff, as if he'd finally surfaced from some kind of drowning. He was talking about what he wanted to do now. He wanted to spend time recording and working on his music, helping his dad and just enjoying some time at home. He was glad of the relief of not having to travel or worry about work. He could rest his mind and his body and just become himself again. He'd gotten lost somewhere along the way and now had a chance to rediscover what had made him long for wrestling.

Sevina was doubtful. She knew Jeff, she knew he would not be able to resist the lure of the ring indefinitely, but she felt some hope. Hope that this was the break Jeff needed to turn himself around, to get clean and get back on track. She was reluctant to leave him, but once Beth arrived there was no reason for her to stay. She retreated, choosing to go instead to Matt's house which was within sight of her own. She could not return to her house, not right now. As strange as it sounded, the thought of the big, empty building was somewhat frightening in that moment. Having seen Jeff the night before, seeing the depth of his despair had struck something inside of her, some defensive instinct. It made her want to reassess her entire life, question her career and where she was going with it. She didn't want to burn out, she didn't want to reach so high, only to fall so far. Jeff was so much stronger than her and wrestling had eaten him alive. What chance did she stand?

She saw Jeff only once more during her visit. He was being constantly surrounded by his family and friends as they rallied around him, half support, half intervention. It was time to force Jeff to face himself and Sevina could have no part in it. Part of it was her work commitments, but the other part, the main part was having been the one to see Jeff that first night and knowing that whilst he smiled and wandered around as if he were walking on air, the problems in his heart and mind ran much deeper than he would let anyone see. No, Sevina could not face watching him try to reassure those around him.

Before she left, she sent him a text message; _YMMF x_ The others would always ponder what in those four letters made Jeff smile the way he did when he read it, but it was their secret for now, a silent acknowledgement from Sevina to Jeff that he was her wings and her upward draft and he had to get back up again, because she needed him to.

* * *

Fast forward a year and TNA was quickly gaining momentum and Sevina signed a five year deal. She was now being marketed as one of the top stars, having mastered the six-sided ring and her heel character. There had been a suggestion of turning her, but it had not gone down well with the fans who enjoyed the edgy, often manipulative attitude she had become famous for. She dressed for the part, borrowing her style from 80's trash punk, ripped jeans, heavy boots and leather jackets. It was quite close to her own style, so it fitted with her well. Her hair was always blue now, not obnoxiously, it appeared black at first, then the light would hit it and the blue shone out, though she usually wore it in a high ponytail.

Her schedule was still mild compared to Matt's, who was now carrying the Hardy name alone. Jeff began to get the itch again. Sevina had seen it when she'd been home. He was constantly asking about or talking about wrestling. He was restless and Sevina decided it was time to do something about it. She got onto Dixie and Jeff Jarrett, first dropping hints and then out-right demanding that they contact Jeff.

It didn't take long, but Sevina was frustrated by Jeff's hesitance to accept the offer when it came. Though, she could understand it. He wanted to be sure he was ready. He'd also just finished his Leaps of Faith motocross track and wanted to spend more time on it. The urge to wrestle grew and grew as the months progressed and the offer from TNA stood firm.

* * *

It was June 23rd 2004 and Sevina was sat on the floor back stage, lacing up her boots. Normally she would have been in the locker room, but it was crowded and she wanted some time to think. She kept her head bowed, focused entirely on the task at hand, though her mind was elsewhere. She was nervous, her match tonight was a big one. She was defending her knockout championship in TNA's second anniversary show, the belt for which was laid on the ground beside her. Or at least, it had been. The belt was suddenly picked up. "Hey!" Sevina stood up sharply and then froze. Her mouth opened and closed mutely. The belt was held out to her and she took it with numb hands, before dumping it aside and throwing her arms around Jeff. He laughed softly and hugged her tight. They broke apart and Sevina clasped his face in her hands, "You're here! You're really here!" She hugged him again, almost knocking him over.

"Yep. I'm here." Jeff grinned at her and Sevina just stared at him. He looked…_better._ His emerald eyes were lit up and animated as they hadn't been for so long and the energy coming off him was strong. There was colour in his skin and something else that Sevina couldn't put her finger on, but he looked alive. The brightness which had always made whatever room he was in more colourful was back, replacing the almost dead tiredness and slow motion of his movements lately.

He suddenly held up his phone and Sevina looked at the screen. It was showing her text message, the one she'd sent him after his release from WWE. She smiled and looked at him, "You kept it." Jeff nodded and lowered the phone, looking at it for a second, before turning his eyes on her again, "Someone's gotta give you that updraft." Sevina hugged him again, then heard someone calling her name. Her match was up. She hesitated, looking at Jeff, not wanting to leave. He smirked at her, "I'll be here when you get back. Go on. You've got a championship to defend." Sevina nodded and hopped up to kiss his cheek, before grabbing her belt and running off to the ramp.

Jeff watched her go and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, just relishing the feeling, the smell, the taste that was so intrinsically wrestling. Of course he'd missed it, but being here now, surrounded by the excitement and the atmosphere, hearing the crowd, seeing the wrestlers all gearing themselves up…it was like waking up from a long sleep and realising that the world had waited for you. He was ready to come back, ready to love this business again. More than anything though, he was ready to prove to Sevina that there was nothing you couldn't come back from if you wanted it enough.

Jeff hit a storm in TNA, so many people were relieved by his re-appearance and excited by the new enthusiasm he seemed to have found. He excelled within the hexagonal ring and seemed to have grown in character since his time away. The fear erased, the panic over and finally he could breathe again. This business which he had loved and then turned his back on had waited for him and now it opened its arms to envelope him once more. He basked in the crowd, adoring them as they adored him. He worshipped them and was exalted in return.

When he was inside that ring, he felt like there was nothing he couldn't do. He morphed into someone else. Jeff Hardy the man, was heavy thinking and often absorbed in his own mind, but Jeff Hardy, the Charismatic Enigma, the wrestler, was fast and light, moving as if the wind itself picked up his movements. Nothing could parallel this, nothing could match it. No love, no drug, no sound or sight. This was life, it was air. How he had survived without it, he would never know. He had enjoyed his time away, time to return to himself, but now he was alive again. Now he ruled the world.


	31. The Sight Of You Is Making Me Sick

**A/N: As always, sorry this update has taken so long. I think the next chapter will be the last one and don't forget, if we reach 100 reviews, the 100****th**** will get a one-shot. Also, as I've done before with this story, I'm messing with the facts a little bit, but trying to stay true to everything that happened.**

**Huge thanks to: _Anis C-bear, JenniferRayne, Sonib89, MesshaBlack_ and _Cena's baby doll_ for reviewing the last chapter.**

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* * *

**

The TNA quickly began to gain attention and as the audience grew, so did Jeff and Sevina's profiles. Jeff had been well loved in the WWE, so when his fans heard he was wrestling again, they quickly turned to TNA to see their hero in action. As the WWE began to cater to a younger audience, being careful to keep to their PG-13 rating and polishing everything with that Hollywood glow of perfection, TNA was raw and gritty, bringing back memories of WWE's attitude era and it was the dirty, risk-taking quality which was causing it to grow and grow.

Jeff and Sevina worked together on and off, occasionally flitting into one another's storylines and they became known as a fairly formidable inter-gender team, but it didn't take long for Jeff's popularity to lead him away from Sevina and up to the greatest heights TNA had to offer, whilst Sevina continued to dominate the women's division. For a while, everything seemed like it would be alright. Matt was happy in the WWE…or so everyone thought.

"V…Vina…Kid, you gotta wake up!" Sevina grumbled and tried to shrug Jeff away, but he was shaking her insistently. "Sevina, come on!" The urgency in his voice struck the alarms in the back of her head and she suddenly popped into full awareness. She sat up sharply, frowning in the dark to try and bring Jeff's face into focus. She then realised he was sitting on the edge of the bed and her sitting up and brought their faces less than an inch apart. She moved back quickly and shook her head, "What's going on?"

"We gotta go."

"Go? Go where?" Sevina rubbed her eyes and shoved her hair away from her face, trying to grasp what he was talking about. Jeff sighed and grabbed her hand, tugging her out of bed. She half stumbled and squeaked in protest, "What the hell, Jeff? Have you lost your mind?"

"Matt needs us." There was an edge to his voice, which caused Sevina to freeze. She said nothing, just nodded and then quickly went about getting dressed. She dragged on her sweatpants and a fitted t-shirt, then pulled a hooded jacket over the top and shoved her feet into her boots. She motioned for Jeff to lead the way and he did. They practically ran, silently across to Matt's house, Sevina was quietly glad that he lived so close to her. They both stopped when they got outside, Sevina stared around. There were a few clothes scattered over the yard and pictures busted out of their frames. One picture was actually on fire. Sevina frowned, "Isn't this all Amy's stuff?"

Jeff just nodded and headed up to the house. Inside, they could hear shouting. Sevina stepped over a load of broken glass in the doorway, extremely confused. Then Matt came into view. He had a grip on Amy's upper arm, the redhead was clearly dressed for bed in cotton pyjama pants and a vest top. Matt was dragging her out of the living room as she screamed in protest. "Matt! Please, please listen to me!"

"I don't wanna hear a fucking word you have to say! I want you out of my house, right now!" Sevina stared in shock, unable to say or do anything. Jeff didn't have the same problem. He walked forward and grabbed Matt by the back of his shirt. "Let her go, Matt." Matt didn't protest. His grip on Amy's arm hadn't been that hard and he quickly released her. Amy was sobbing and Sevina quickly ran over and put an arm around her. This seemed to incense Matt, who glared at Sevina with an anger that she had never seen before. "Don't fucking touch her! Don't comfort her!"

Sevina frowned at him as Amy cried into her shoulder, "What the fuck is going on, Matt?" Amy wailed harder as Jeff planted a hand on Matt's chest to keep him in place. Matt's eyes were wild, like fury had completely taken over him, "She's been fucking Adam behind my back! That's what's going on! Ask her! Go on! Fucking ask her!" Sevina turned her eyes on Amy, but didn't say anything. Jeff motioned to the duffel bag which had been thrown down near the door and Sevina quickly grabbed it. Amy looked at Matt pleadingly, her hands reaching out to him, "Please, Matt! Don't do this. We can talk, we can figure it out. I can't leave. All my stuff is here!"

Matt bared his teeth at her furiously and jerked away from her as if her touch were poisonous. "You're stuff will be fine. Just get out, 'cause the sight of you is making me fucking sick right now!" He growled at her. Sevina took Amy's arm and insistently pulled her out of the house. Amy looked at Sevina as they walked towards her car, "V…Oh, V, what am I going to do? I didn't mean to. You believe me, right?" Sevina didn't answer. She let go of Amy and unlocked the car, throwing the duffel bag into the back seat. "You need me to drive you somewhere?"

"Sevina, please. Please, believe me. I never meant to hurt Matt. I love him. I do. I love him." Amy covered her face with her hands and Sevina shook her head. She walked behind the other woman and gripped her shoulder, lightly pushing her to the passenger side of the car and helping her inside. She got behind the wheel and then drove off down the drive far too fast. She said nothing as they drove, her eyes firmly fixed on the road. Amy continued to cry noisily beside her. Sevina drove her to Raleigh and booked her into a hotel. Once she was settled in her room, Sevina turned to leave. Amy grabbed her arm to stop her, "Wont you stay with me? Talk to me, please. Sevina, I don't wanna be alone."

"No? Well you should have thought about that before you slept with Matt's best friend, shouldn't you." Sevina hissed, surprised by the venom in her own voice. Amy's face crumpled again and the beautiful diva looked like a broken woman. Her face was blotchy and her eyes were red and puffy. Her hair was a mess and she hadn't changed out of her night clothes. Sevina couldn't feel sorry for her. Not even a little bit. She liked Amy, always had, but Matt was her brother in every way that mattered. "Get some sleep. You're gonna need it. I'll leave your car with the valets."

She didn't say anything else as she left. She called Greg as soon as she got outside, he had been the first person to be aware of the situation, having been sent the messages from Adam which had kicked the whole thing off. He drove to Raleigh and picked her up and took her back to Matt's house.

The next few months were hard. Matt went off at the deep end. He became depressed and erratic and in the end was released from the WWE. Jeff and Sevina had to honour their work commitments, but they sent as much time at home as they could, though it served little purpose. Matt had gone to a place that only he could pull himself from. He'd lost everything that had held him together. Amy, his job, his security and the future he had been working for his entire life. He shut himself off, worked the independent circuit and slowly started to pull himself back, but something in him had changed forever. The sweetness was gone, the kindness and gentleness that had been so Matt, was erased from his personality.

Sevina was the first to notice the insanity that was picking up on the internet and she was the one to show Jeff. Matt was active online, but it had somehow passed his knowledge. The fans were going crazy, determined to get Matt re-hired. Jeff and Sevina fuelled the fire, getting personally involved and causing the demand to shoot even higher. Matt became aware of what was going on and it was like a rope around him had snapped. Suddenly he found himself again. These fans, these people who were fighting so hard for his dream, were what he had always been about. He lived for his fans and now they were living for him. He wouldn't let them down.

* * *

"I hate this."

"So do I, but the line will be over soon. They wont keep running with this. It's gonna get too dangerous in the end. Those two can't be on the same brand." Jeff and Sevina were sat in their hotel, watching Raw. Matt had been re-hired and the WWE had taken the affair and run with it. The only problem with it was; Adam and Matt were literally looking for any excuse to get their hands on each other. Amy was keeping neutral outside of the ring, but it wasn't helping. If it was allowed to continue, either Matt or Adam was going to end up getting seriously hurt.

Maliciously, Sevina hoped it would be Adam. She had only met him once or twice, so had no personal feelings about him other than the ones that this situation had stirred.

* * *

"Where the hell is he?" Sevina frowned, looking at her watch. She and Jeff were scheduled to take part in an inter-gender tag match for the Turning Point pre-show and she hadn't seen Jeff yet. She jumped up and down on the spot, trying to shake off the strange feeling of anxiety in her stomach, hoping that Jeff was around and she just hadn't bumped into him. She looked at her watch again and swore. "Come on, Jeff." Jeff had already been suspended once that year for failing to turn up. TNA were not the kind of company to give second chances.

"Ataera, he here yet?" Sevina looked at the techie and shook her head, then looked around for Jeff. Instead, she spotted Jeff Jarrett walking towards her. "Sevina, you're up."

"But, Jeff's not here."

"I know. You're with Monty." Sevina looked behind him to see Monty Brown. He nodded to her, looking sympathetic and she sighed. She was going to kill Jeff. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

"Well, good job, idiot!" Sevina slammed the phone down and folded her arms. She looked around the kitchen angrily. The phone rang again, but she switched it straight to the answer machine. She was not in the mood to talk to Jeff right now. Jeff had been suspended indefinitely, with the advisement that he would probably not wrestle for TNA again. Sevina was furious with him. She'd put her neck on the line to get him the job with TNA in the first place and now he'd messed it up. She didn't care how many excuses or apologies he came up with. She didn't want to hear them.

Every time she thought she had a handle on things, something went wrong again. Something blew up and sent her back down. She knew she was being selfish, internalising everything that had happened, but Jeff was her reliable. He was the one thing she could count on. He was a fixed point and now he'd gone and moved again.

She was disappointed in him and she knew that that fact would hit him hard. Jeff didn't mind people being angry with him, but he couldn't handle disappointing people. Right now, though, Sevina didn't care about sparing his feelings. He had dug himself this hole, he could damn well get himself out of it. Of course, he would. Jeff always did and whilst Sevina was glad for that, she just wished she could know what went through his mind that made him do the stupid things he did.

It was selfish and she knew it, but she didn't want him to leave TNA. She liked having him around, working with him and seeing him all the time. It would have been perfect if Matt had been there too, but at least if she couldn't have them both, she could have one of them. Her irritation would pass and when it did, she'd be ready to talk to Jeff. She'd be able to be sympathetic and listen to him, but right now, all she could think was that she was, once again, facing the future on her own. She wanted the boys with her, all of them. She wanted to go wherever they did because as pathetic as it seemed, she felt lost without them.


	32. Life Starts Now

**A/N: Okay, this is it. The big one. This is where I attempt to line this story up with A Hardy Tale. I'm either gonna manage it, or fail spectacularly. Thanks to everyone who has supported this series. Those who haven't read the other two, A Hardy Tale and I'll Keep You… are accessible on my page ^_^ **

**My huge thanks go out to: SarahLou143, Cena's baby doll, Anis C-Bear, Sonib89 and JenniferRayne for reviewing the last chapter. **

**As most of you know, once this is concluded both of my running fics will be officially done. I have now (if it shows) put a poll on my page to see what people want me to write next, so go on over there and vote if you like :D **

**So, on with the show!

* * *

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_You say you feel so down_

_Every time I turn around_

_And you say you should've been gone by now...

* * *

_

"Bullshit, Jeff! You look me in the eye right now and tell me you didn't get fired on purpose!" Sevina narrowed her eyes at the man in front of her as he avoided her gaze. Jeff sighed and ran his fingers through his long hair and Sevina shook her head, turning her back to him. He reached out to grab her arm, but she snatched it back, violently, spinning to face him again, "No, Jeff! You look at me and you tell me you didn't know you were going back to the WWE when you skipped out on TNA. Come on!"

"Vina, I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Did you even think about me when you made this decision? You put your career and what you wanted above mine! You could have cost me everything! We were meant to win that match, but because you didn't show up and Monty and I suck as a team, we lost! JJ and Dixie were after my head!" She turned away from him again, only to whirl back moments later, "I put my neck on the line to get you that job and you screwed me over! Your contract was ending, but you just couldn't wait, you had to go and get yourself fired and you did it at _my _expense!" On that note, she stalked away from him, slamming the door behind her, leaving Jeff stood in the hallway of his house, feeling like he'd been punched in the stomach. Sure, he'd fallen out with Sevina before, but she always forgave him and she had never gone off at him like that before.

He knew that what he'd done was stupid and selfish. He should have thought about her before doing what he did, but all his thoughts had been trained on the new WWE contract that was waiting for him. He wanted to get back in _that _ring. He wanted to stand side-by-side with his brother again. He loved working with Sevina, but TNA had only ever been a stopover until he was ready to go back where his heart belonged.

* * *

_And you, you think that everything's wrong_

_You ask me how to carry on_

_We'll make it through another day just hold on...

* * *

_

"You gonna be okay, kid?" Matt tilted his head, reaching out a hand to run down the side of Sevina's hair. She just smiled in response and waved off his concern. "Of course I will. You better go. I'll see you at the weekend." Matt frowned a little, but said nothing. He just wrapped her up in a huge hug and then kissed the side of her head. "You call if you need anything."

"Go, you'll miss your flight." Sevina shooed him away from her, indicating towards the departures gate. She then noticed that his eyes were no longer on her. He was looking behind her. Sevina took a deep breath and turned, knowing what she'd find. Jeff was stood a few feet away, in one hand he held his battered suitcase and in the other a beaten up duffel bag. Matt had silently slipped away as Jeff and Sevina just stood watching one another. They had not spoken properly since the argument and time had passed since then. Jeff was due to make his grand re-entrance to Raw this week.

Sevina felt something break inside of her as she looked at him. They were supposed to have spent the last few weeks celebrating together, being happy that he was going back, but instead they'd spent it avoiding each other, not making eye contact and only being in close proximity with other people to keep them apart.

Jeff suddenly dropped his bag and suitcase and before he had even lifted his arms, Sevina was moving towards him. She hit his chest sharply and he enveloped her in his arms, burying his face in her hair. She clung tightly to the front of his shirt, taking in his unique smell, feeling the starched fabric of his shirt, rubbing against her cheek. She sighed and felt Jeff tighten his arms around her. "I'm sorry, V." Sevina nodded against his chest and that was all the indication he needed to know she forgave him.

She moved back abruptly and rubbed frantically at her eyes with the back of her hand, "You have to go. You don't want to miss your flight." Jeff nodded, she was right. In fact, as she spoke, the last boarding call was announced. He sighed and pressed his lips to her forehead, "See you at the weekend." Sevina watched him walk through the gate, then turn back and lift his hand in a final wave. She stayed at the airport, watching the plane take off, carrying with it her sense of security. On her own again.

* * *

_Cause life starts now._

_You've done all the things that could kill you somehow...

* * *

_

Sevina hauled herself to her feet, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth and it came away bloody. For a split-second, she saw Daffney's eyes flash back to Shannon in a moment of concern, but a subtle nod from Sevina told her that she was alright. Sevina had taken the ultimate heel turn, turning on Daffney, who had been her mentor for a long time, screwing her over for the title. The fans loved it.

Daffney let out one of her infamous primal screams and Sevina had to duck quickly to avoid her swinging arm, landing a knee in her midsection and sending her down. She then climbed up to the top turnbuckle and paused. Daffney was laid out on the mat beautifully below her. Sevina lifted her hand in the gun symbol and the crowd exploded. _This one's for you, Jeff. Let's fly._ She brought her hand to her face, kissed her fingers and then executed the Swanton Bomb. In an instant, she understood what Jeff had always talked to her about. Flying through the air, out of control and yet headed for a set destination, was the ultimate freedom.

It lasted only a split second, but as she flew it felt like forever. She saw the mat, she saw Daffney, then the crowd and finally, the top of the arena as she hit. Each moment creating a still frame in her mind, which would stay with her forever. This was the one and only time in her career that she would execute that move and it won her the match.

* * *

_And you're so far down_

_But you will survive it somehow because life starts now...

* * *

_

"Here is your winner and the new, WWE Champion; Jeff Hardy!" Sevina was on her feet with everyone else, screaming and jumping, clapping her hands as Jeff flew to his feet, clutching the championship belt. She knew that backstage, Matt would be bringing the roof down in his celebrations. She wound her way out of the crowd and briefly flashed her pass to allow her to be let backstage. It was rare that this would be allowed, given her position on the rival brand, but Matt and Jeff had protested until she was given access.

She found Matt and hugged him tightly, they were both talking over each other in their excitement and ran down to the curtain in time to see Jeff come through. He limping and exhausted, but the elation on his face was there for anyone to see. He hugged Matt first. Matt gripped his face and the two men knocked foreheads, then Jeff's eyes found Sevina and he grinned at her. She ran to him and he wrapped her in his arms, spinning her in the air, "You did it! You did it!" They both laughed and danced around for a few moments before Beth arrived and Matt and Sevina wandered off to give them some private time.

* * *

_I hate to see you fall down_

_I'll pick you up off of the ground_

_I've watched the weight of your world come down...

* * *

_

"Sevina, mail!" Sevina rolled her eyes and walked into her kitchen, plucking her letters out of Shannon's hands, "What are you even doing here this early in the morning?" Shannon just shrugged and hopped onto the side, picking at her salad bowl. Sevina whacked his hand to stop him as she flicked through the letters. She paused on one and frowned. She lifted it out of the pile and set the others carefully down. Shannon lifted his eyebrows, watching her carefully, "What is it, Looka'?"

"I dunno. It's from Stamford, CT." Sevina turned it over, looking at the post mark and Shannon's eyebrows shot up, his hand pausing with a tomato halfway to his mouth, "What like…as in..?"

"Yeah."

"Well, open it!" Sevina just stared at the envelope, ignoring Shannon. He got far too impatient to wait for her and grabbed the letter out of her hands and ripped it open. "Hey!" Sevina glared at him as he unfolded the bulky letter from within and began ready it. His expression remained curious, but didn't change as he finished and handed it to her. Sevina looked at him questioningly, but he just motioned for her to read it. Slowly, she tore her eyes from him and looked at the letter, her eyes getting wider and wider as she went along. Shannon's face broke into a grin.

"Oh, my god."

"I know."

"But this is…"

"I know."

"But…"

"I know!"

"I…Oh, my god!"

"I know!"

"Shannon, this is…" Sevina dropped the letter and let out a squeal of excitement, hugging Shannon around the waist tightly, driving the air out of him, "Looka'…can't…breathe…!"

* * *

_And now it's your chance to move on_

_Change the way you've lived for so long_

_You find the strength you've had inside all along...

* * *

_

"Jeff? Is it true?" Sevina frowned at him where he sat on her couch and he nodded, motioning for her to come and sit beside him. He sighed and looked at his hands, before twisting to face her, running one arm along the back of the couch, the other reaching out to take her hand, which she placed in his automatically. "I got a lot of problems, V. My back and my legs. I'm too close to violating the wellness programme and I just…I don't wanna go out like I did before. I wanna do it right this time."

Sevina sighed and lowered her eyes. She said nothing for a long time. Her contract with TNA had just ended and she'd entered her ninety days no work clause, but after that…after that everything changed and now, Jeff wasn't going to be there to see that. She chewed on her bottom lip as her mind tried to come to terms with this new information, "Will you go back to TNA?" She looked at him, her eyes searching his for the answers she needed.

"Maybe. I don't know. For now, I just need to take stock. The new house is going to be finished being built soon and I want time to settle into it and…you know?" Sevina nodded, she understood. It had not been long at all since Jeff's house had burned down, taking all his possessions and his beloved Jack with it. He was working too hard, his injuries plaguing him and his mind was tired. Sevina knew he was trying to avoid a total meltdown like last time. "I'm gonna miss you." She said quietly and Jeff let out the smallest sighed, before drawing her into a light hug, kissing the top of her head and then resting his chin on her hair.

He had never wanted it to be like this. If it were up to him, he would keep wrestling in the WWE til he felt he couldn't do it any more, but the injuries he had sustained through the years of daredevil antics were taking their toll on his body and if he didn't get better he'd be in violation of the wellness programme and they wouldn't let him wrestle at all, so he had to bow out for now, whilst it was still his choice. His one regret was that he wouldn't be there to see Sevina through the difficult and testing times that she faced now.

* * *

___Cause life starts now,_

___You've done all the things that could kill you somehow...

* * *

_  


Jeff and Shannon's sudden appearance on TNA caused a riot and Sevina laughed quietly to herself as she watched from home. Jeff was happy with his choices, knowing he'd done things right this time, that he'd tied up the loose ends and avoided letting people down or giving them reason to be disappointed in him. He would never fully know the sadness that his departure from the WWE had caused because he had known then that if he stopped to look, he would have never been able to leave without being forced. His mind was willing, but his body was not. The schedule of the WWE was far too much for him right now, TNA was lighter and that was what had drawn him back there.

For a moment, Sevina considered re-signing and going back to work with him, but then she thought of the future that she had waiting for her and pushed that thought out of her mind. She had told Jeff once, that he had to go out there and do it for both of them and now, it was her turn to do that. She would go out there and follow the stars, she'd live the dream for them both.

* * *

_And you're so far down_

_But you will survive it somehow because life starts now...

* * *

_

"You ready?"

"No." Matt laughed and grabbed the baseball cap from the couch and handed it to Sevina. He watched in fascination as she twisted her long hair up and under the cap as she pulled it down, somehow managing to completely hide the length. To him, that was incredible. She stood there, in a pair of baggy jeans and navy blue vest, with her hands on her hips and Matt couldn't help but snicker slightly. Sevina tilted her head back to look at him from under the peak of the gap and she narrowed her eyes.

Matt held up his hands in an apology and she nodded, grabbing her denim jacket from the back of a chair and pulling it on. It fit to a carefully constructed shape, hiding her curves. Matt hugged her tightly for a moment and he could feel her shaking slightly. "Go fly, Kid." Sevina flashed him a smile and headed for the door, but her phone went off. She reached into her pocket and pulled it out, flipping it open to read the text message; _YMMF x_ She smiled to herself and felt a burst of courage, then yanked the door open and walked out of the locker room.

* * *

_All this pain_

_Take this life and make it yours...

* * *

_

"Right this way." Sevina followed the security guard as he led her to her front row seat, directly in front of the ring. She stared at it from under her cap and took a deep breath as she sat down. The people around her were chattering excitedly, but Sevina just felt sick. She adjusted her cap, making sure it was firmly secure on her head. The security guard, who was specifically stationed close to her, glanced at her and winked subtly enough for no-one else to see it.

The opening music and pyros hit and the crowd erupted. Sevina was probably the only person who stayed in her seat, she didn't think her legs would hold her. She wrapped her arms loosely around her stomach as the nerves sought to overwhelm her. She took several deep breaths, trying to calm her mind.

* * *

_All this hate _

_Take your heart and let it love again...

* * *

_

Chris Jericho hit Matt from behind with a steel chair and started laying into him as he desperately tried to cover up. Sevina was on her feet with the rest of the crowd. The security guard half turned towards her and she knew that was her cue. The nerves were almost unbearable and for a split second, she almost didn't move, but then the world seemed to slow, everything dropping to a surreal slow motion and the noise around her became drone-like and quiet. She took a deep breath and walked back five paces. She clenched and unclenched her hands, her eyes on the security guard.

As his head nodded a single time, the world snapped back into fast forward and Sevina felt herself running, then jumping. One of her feet planted securely on the crowd barrier and she used it's momentum to carry herself up and over. The crowd were screaming, confused and excited. Several people, believing the lie that she was a fan, tried to follow, but were swiftly stopped by security. She slid under the bottom rope, one hand holding her hat in place.

Her eyes met Chris' and she knew he had no idea who she was or what she was doing there. She smirked a little as he quickly left the ring. She then approached Matt. He looked up at her, his dark eyes filled with amusement. She was late, her nerves having held her back a few seconds. "You took your time." Sevina rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, hauling him to his feet. He turned to Chris, who was walking backwards up the ramp, then indicated for the mic to be given to him. He spoke in a slow, amused voice; "Jericho! You didn't like getting beat, so you jumped me from behind. Okay. I can understand that." He shrugged, his tone entirely conversational for the moment. "What you seem to forget, is that in the WWE, there is always someone watching! And unluckily for you, my good friend here decided not to sit by and watch you attack me."

Matt put his arm over Sevina's shoulders in a lazy fashion. The intent for the moment was to convince everyone that she was a man, it seemed to be working. Matt started speaking again, drawing her attention; "Jericho, I bet you'd like to meet the person, whose very presence tonight drove you from the ring!" He then moved in front of her and spoke in only a voice she could here, "You ready?" Sevina nodded fractionally and he suddenly gripped the front of her cap and pulled it off.

* * *

_You will survive it somehow...

* * *

_

The gasp that rang around the arena as Sevina's identity became clear was very satisfying to her. Some of the fans recognised her, but most of them had no idea who she was. All of them were shocked to see her standing there and very much female. She smirked as she was supposed to, down the ramp at Chris and the nerves had melted away, leaving her with a warm, excited feeling in her chest. She was here. Finally. She took it in. She'd worked arenas with TNA, but it felt different somehow. This felt so much more real, so much more like all the things she had dreamed professional wrestling would be and in her mind, the little girl she used to be was smiling; _Look at me, Daddy. I made it.

* * *

_

_Life starts now._

_You've done all the things that could kill you somehow_

_And you're so far down...

* * *

_

In the locker room, Sevina showered and changed, being endlessly bombarded with questions and compliments from the other women, who had met her, but had no idea what role she was going to play. In the chaos, she grabbed her phone and sent out a single text message; _Thanks for the updraft. YMMF x .

* * *

_

_You've done all the things that could kill you somehow _

_And you're so far down..._

_Life starts now. _

**So…there it is. It's over. As I said before, the sequels to this can be found on my page, as can the poll of what I should write next. **

**The lyrics in this chapter are from Three Days Grace - Life Starts Now**

**Thank you so much to everyone who had reviewed at any point in this story or indeed, this series and everyone who faved and alerted. I personally, can't believe it's over. I've loved every second of writing it and I hope you enjoyed reading it.**

**The End**


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